Sudden law and order slide in S-W districts
Most of the killings were done allegedly by outlaws, according to police.
Two persons were abducted for ransom and passengers of two BRTC (Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation) buses were robbed during the period in the crime prone area of the country.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. The criminals also made three bomb attacks on law enforcers, apparently thwarting their anti-crime drive.
Some high police officials seeking anonymity admitted the slide in law and order, saying it 'a sudden phenomenon' just ahead of the Eid-ul-Ajha. The situation will improve soon, they hoped.
The first day of the year was marked with two murders, one in Khulna and the other in Kushtia.
Police said outlaws abducted one Lipi Khatun, 23, from Kartikpur village in Daulatpur upazila in Khulna and slaughtered her after rape.
In Kushtia, one Jahidul, 25, was shot dead at Kazihata village in Bheramara upazila.
On the same day, Jatyia Party Presidoum member Shaikh Akram Hossain came under a bomb attack, allegedly by outlaws. He survived the attack. Passengers of a BRTC bus were robbed 12 miles off Kushtia town on the Kushtia-Bheremara road.
On January 2, outlawed party cadres abducted trader Ripon Hossain, 33, son of Abdus Sattar of Shuvorazpur village in Gangni upazila in Meherpur and demanded Tk 1 lakh ransom. The victim is still untraced, police said.
On the same day, criminals hacked to death a woman Chaburennasha, 45,-- at Bichali village in Narail Sadar upazila.
On January 3, a gang impersonating al Qaida activists exploded four bombs at Poradah Bazar in Mirpur upazila in Kushtia.
One the same day unidentified criminals shot dead housewife Majeda khatun, 30, at KhordoBhaluka village in Kumarkhali upazila in Kushtia over a previous rivalry with her husband.
On January 4 at night, miscreants hurled a bomb at Shiromoni police camp in Khulna. None was injured at it exploded on the sunshed of the building.
On the same day, miscreants belonging to notorious Lalchad Bahini gunned downed jewelry shop owner Tanim Hossain Ranga, 35, at Juniadah Bazar in Bheramara, while outlaws abducted businessman Yunus Ali from Bhedura village in Alamdanga in Chuadanga for Tk 3 lakh ransom. The Ali is still missing.
On the same day, criminals killed a nine year-old boy, Milton, son of Manik Lal Das at Mashni village in Kochua upazila in Bagerhat and slaughtered 60 year-old woman Surjabibi at Ambari village in Narail Sadar upazila and robbed passengers of a BRTC bus on the Khulna-Jessore highway.
A leader of Bangladesh Chhatra League, Zahirul, was killed at Baitpur in Bagerhat on the same day.
On January 5, outlaws slaughtered Kushtia BRB Cable Company employee Rafiqul Islam, 40, at Sawstipur village in Kushtia Sadar upazila and strangled Manjura Khatun, 35, after abduction and rape.
On the same day, enraged people in Kushtia beat an unidentified cadre of outlawed Gono Mukti Fouz when he was fleeing after killing an alleged police informer near the Polytechnic Institute in Kushtia town.
A top cadre of outlawed Purbo Banglar communist Party (PBCP-ML), Selim Ahmed Tutul, was killed on January 5, allegedly by party rivals.