Awami League Leader in Jail, Son’s Body Found in River

Staff Reporter

The body of a young man was recovered floating in the Brahmaputra River by the police. Yesterday, the body was found in the Dhana Char area of Jadurchar Union in Roumari Upazila, Kurigram.

The deceased has been identified as Ariful Islam (22), the son of Suruzzaman Mia from Dhana Char village. Suruzzaman is the former Religious Affairs Secretary of the Roumari Upazila Awami League and the president of Ward No. 4 of Jadurchar Union Awami League. He is known in the area as the “elder brother” of former State Minister for Primary and Mass Education Zakir Hossain. Currently, Suruzzaman is in Kurigram Jail.

Near Arif’s body, police found a dinghy boat and evidence of drug use. Additionally, traces of drug use by a group of individuals were discovered in a nearby cornfield. However, it remains unclear whether Arif was involved with the drug users or was a victim of their attack.

Arif’s elder brother, Anwar Hossain, said, *”Arif drove a tractor. The previous night, he returned home after driving the vehicle. He had breakfast and left again in the morning with the tractor. But in the morning, we found his body floating in the river. My elder brother retrieved the body, and later the police came and took the body and evidence away. My brother has been killed and thrown into the river.”*