Police put on high alert in south-western region

In a suspected retaliatory attack, outlaws on Friday killed four police men in Naogaon in Rajshahi.

Intelligence agencies have information that extremists and Islamic militants have planned to kill political leaders and attack key installations in south-western region within next 2-3 weeks, highly placed police sources said.

Fugitive extremists and Islamic militants visited Khulna city several times in last one month in guise and held secret meetings to plan subversive activities, sources claimed.

They said drug addicts and jobless youngsters have been recruited to carry out bomb attacks on some political leaders and important places.

Outlawed Janajuddho and M-L factions of Purbo Banglar Communist Party (PBCP) sent messages to different regional newspapers through cell and land phones early this month expressing their vows to retaliate killing of party men in 'crossfire'.

Friday's killings in Noagaon was a likely revenge attack fo death of 11 outlaws in pabna shootout on August 17 , sources said.

The sources said a group of Islamic militants have been staying in the Sundarbans for two weeks. They have strongholds in different madrasas situated in the remote areas of Khulna and Bagerhat districts.

Meanwhile, silent extortion is going on in Khulna city. Many well-to-do people are passing days in panic after getting phone calls in the name of Janajuddho founder Tapan Malitha for illegal toll varying from Tk one to 10 lakh for 'treatment' of cadres of outlawed parties injured in encounters with Rab and police.

In last two months as many as 40 people including Vice Chancellor of Khulna University, doctors, teachers, two journalists and businessmen received telephone calls for money or to face death.

Both the KMP Commissioner and the DIG of Khulna are still hopeful to track down extortionists at any cost. These are not being done by outlaws alone, they said in an oblique reference to cadres of political parties who also demand toll.