A nine-year-old boy was shot allegedly by ruling Awami League lawmaker Manjurul Islam Liton in Sundarganj upazila of Gaibandha yesterday morning. The victim, Sourav Mia, son of utensil seller Saju Mia of Gopalcharan village in Sundarganj, was undergoing treatment at Rangpur Medical College with bullet wounds in both the legs. Doctors said Sourav’s condition is stable after they performed surgery to remove two bullets from his legs.
Speaking to The Independent, Dr. Majharul Islam said, “Sourav is in stable condition now. Two bullets were extracted from his legs and he will be under observation for the next 15 days.”
Shahjahan Mia, uncle of the boy, said the incident took place around 6am when the boy, along with his father, was walking on the road near their house in BRAC crossing area.
“About 50 metres ahead of them, the lawmaker was trying to force a man to get into his vehicle that was parked on the side of the road. But as the man fled in fear, an enraged Liton opened fire and the bullets hit Sourav, who went down bleeding profusely,” he said.
This correspondent could not contact Liton as his mobile phone was switched off.
Local people informed that Liton was on his way to his residence in Bamondanga village from Sundarganj when the incident took place.
Sourav was rushed to Sundarganj Upazila Health Complex from where he was to Rangpur Medical College Hospital.
Victim’s uncle Shahjahan alleged that when they were taking Sourav to Ranpur, the lawmaker and his men intercepted the ambulance at gunpoint in the Bamondanga area, but they managed to evade them saying that there was some other patient in the ambulance.   They finally reached Rangpur medical around 10:00 am.
Officer-in-Charge of Sudarganj police station Zinnat Ali said, “We have heard the news and are investigating the matter. No one is above the law.”
“We will take action if the allegations turn out to be correct, but no one has filed any case yet in this regard,” he added.
The boy’s father said that they are busy with the treatment of their child and will file a case after he recovers. “We have not filed any case since we got busy with the treatment of our child. Once he recovers, we will file a case against Liton,” he added.
Meanwhile, locals brought out processions and formed a human chain in Sundarganj protesting the shooting and demanding punishment for the lawmaker.
Rights body Ain O Salish Kendra, in a statement, condemned the incident. It also demanded a fair probe into the incident and stringent action against those responsible.
It also urged the government to take effective steps to prevent such incidents in the future and to ensure proper treatment of Sourav.