Labour party leader stabbed to death in Cox's Bazar
The deceased, Shahidul Islam Shawkat, 38 was a former general secretary of the Labour Party’s west zone in Pekua sadar union.
A Labour Party leader was stabbed to death in Pekua upazila of Cox's Bazar over a dispute regarding control of transport lines. Two others were injured in the incident.
The incident occurred around 10pm yesterday (26 August) in front of the WAPDA office on the west side of the Pekua market.
The deceased, Shahidul Islam Shawkat, 38 was a former general secretary of the Labour Party's west zone in Pekua sadar union.
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Shawkat's brother, Mohammad Shakir, 27, and his cousin, Mohammad Tarek, 23, were also injured in the attack and have been admitted to Pekua upazila health complex for treatment.
Pekua police station officer-in-charge (OC) Mohammad Ilyas said, "Shawkat succumbed to his injuries after being taken to Chittagong Medical College Hospital. Police have reached the scene following the incident. We are gathering information on who carried out the attack, the motive behind it, and other relevant details. The body is being brought back to Pekua after an autopsy at Chittagong Medical College Hospital. Legal action will be taken once a formal complaint is received."
Local Labour Party leaders and residents mentioned that there were two factions within the Labour Party's west zone in Pekua sadar.
One faction was led by former general secretary Shahidul Islam, while the other was headed by former vice-presidents Badiul Alam and Sajjadul Islam.
These factions were reportedly aligned with senior vice-president Mohammad Osman and former acting president Harunur Rashid, respectively, of the Pekua upazila Labour Party.
Since the fall of the government, both factions have been vying for control of the Pekua CNG, tempo, and autorickshaw workers' union line. The stabbing incident is believed to have been triggered by this internal conflict within the party.
However, the former acting president of the Pekua upazila Labour Party, Harunur Rashid, denied any involvement of the Labour Party in the attack, stating, "I have good relations with both the victims and the attackers. This incident is not related to any labour organisation issue. There is no conflict between Osman and me. After hearing about the attack, both Osman and I went to the hospital together."
