[Bangla Daily Star] Two top leaders of banned outfit Purbo Banglar Communist Party (PBCP-ML) were killed in a "shootout" between their cohorts and law enforcers at Kedarganj in Chuadanga district early yesterday.The deceased were identified as Jamal alias Robi alias Nuruzzaman Sumon, 39, general secretary, and Sunnat Ali, 45, second-in-command of PBCP-ML.
Two personnel of Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) -- Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Aminul Islam Amin and Constable Manik -- were also injured in the incident. They received treatment at Chuadanga sadar hospital, Rab said.
Acting on a tip off, a joint team of Rab-6 and Chuadanga sadar police raided a mango garden behind Kedarganj Girls' College. A group of PBCP men led by Jamal were holding a secret meeting there around 1:30am.
According to Rab and police, sensing the presence of law enforcers, the outlawed operatives charged bombs at them and injured a Rab official. The windscreen of one of the Rab's vehicles broke due to the impact of the bomb.
An hour-long gunfight ensued. As the outlaws fled the scene, two bodies were found. Police identified them as Jamal and Sunnat.
Police also recovered one pistol, three LGs, two locally made guns, six bullets and 11 bombs from the scene.
RISE OF JAMAL
Son of Joynal Abedin of Palashpara in Chuadanga town, Jamal was a popular football player of the district.
After being unsuccessful in the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) exam he got involved with crime through drug peddling. He then joined hands with Yusuf and Paltu, two infamous drug traders and adherents of outlawed Banglar Communist Party (BCP-Laltu) in Chuadanga.
Over a feud with these two, Jamal joined with PBCP-ML leader Mazid of the district. Here he came in contact with PBCP founder Mofakkar and was made military operation commander of the outfit's district unit. He became a killing machine afterwards and carried out blood missions in Chuadanga and its adjacent districts -- Meherpur, Kushtia and Jhenidah.
Police said in his long fourteen years of outlawed life, Jamal committed at least 50 murders including of Chuadanga district Awami League (AL) joint secretary also veteran freedom fighter Asabul Haq Asha, Bangladesh Jubo League Chuadanga district unit organising secretary also chairman of Juranpur Union Parishad Ali Hossain, Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) Chuadanga district unit secretary Bipu and Chuadanga district Jubo League joint convener Baharul Islam Ayon.
Jamal was first arrested by Jessore police in 2000. Released in 2003, he joined the PBCP-ML (Janajuddho faction) and soon was embroiled in a conflict with the outfit's founder Abdur Rashid Tapan alias Dada Tapan over killing two party men, Kuti and Sahidul. He returned to PBCL-ML the same year.
After the death of Mofakkar Hossain in 2004, Jamal declared himself general secretary of the outfit. He then reorganised the party cadres under him.
Chuadanga police announced different amounts of bounties for information on top 20 outlaws in 2005. Jamal was second on the list while Dada Tapan first.