Juba Dal leader shot dead at bus counter, bullet found in skull

A bullet has been found inside the skull of slain Juba Dal leader Shaker Hossain, 39, at the Royal Transport counter in the central bus terminal of Magura Municipality. Doctors and multiple police sources confirmed this information to the media after the post-mortem on Wednesday afternoon. Doctors are primarily assuming that he died from the gunshot injury.

Additional Superintendent of Police of Magura Thandar Khairul Hasan said that the post-mortem of Shaker Hossain’s body has been completed at Magura 250-bed Hospital. The concerned doctors have informed about finding the bullet inside the skull. However the specific cause of death will be confirmed after receiving the post-mortem report.

The deceased Shaker Hossain was Senior Joint Convener of Magura Poura Juba Dal. He used to work as counter master of Royal Transport. His home is at Parnanduali Bapari Para of Magura Municipality. He is the son of late Kutubuddin.

Shaker was found unconscious at the Royal Transport counter in Parnanduali bus terminal around 5:30am on Wednesday. Later when he was taken to hospital the doctor declared him dead. Initially thinking it was a death due to illness the family members took the body home. While preparing for the bath they saw a wound mark on the back of the head and informed the police. Afterwards the body was taken to the hospital for post-mortem.

Bullet sounds in CCTV audio
Police sources said that there is a CCTV camera installed by the district police at the entrance of the bus terminal. Two bullet sounds were heard in the audio of that camera at the time of the incident. Several motorcycles and easy-bikes were seen entering and leaving the terminal around the time of the incident. However as the counter remained hidden from the position of the camera it was not possible to capture the scene of the murder.

Police have informed that two passengers were inside the counter at the time of the murder. They were waiting to go to Dhaka by bus. Efforts are on to collect information about the incident by talking to them.

Police’s primary assumption is that two persons came on a motorcycle, shot Shaker and fled. However no confirmed information has yet been available about the identity of the attackers, the motive of the murder and the weapon used.

MP calling the murder a target killing
After inspecting the spot Magura-1 MP Monowar Hossain went to Magura 250-bed Hospital on Wednesday afternoon. There he told journalists that after the post-mortem the doctors have informed about finding a bullet inside Shaker’s skull. From the morning itself the eyewitnesses were talking about the shooting. They had also claimed the incident as a target killing.

The MP further said that a big syndicate may be involved in the murder. He called upon the police administration and higher authorities to identify the persons involved and uncover the main reason of the incident. Alongside he also demanded finding out the illegal arms used in the violence of the mass uprising of ‘24.

Culture Minister and Magura-2 MP Nitai Roy Chowdhury also went to the hospital in the afternoon. Meanwhile presence of BNP leaders and activists was seen in the hospital and bus terminal area from the morning. Around 12pm they brought out a procession in the terminal area demanding justice for the murder. At that time the Dhaka-Khulna highway was kept blocked for some time.

‘Who will look after my children’
Going to the home of the deceased Shaker Hossain on Wednesday afternoon it was seen that his wife, brother and relatives were crying. Wife Sharmin Akter Ruma was repeatedly lamenting after losing her husband. They have two children. One studies in class five, the other in nursery.

Ruma said that every day at dawn Shaker used to leave home to go to the counter. He had gone to work the previous day as well and also went on the day of the incident. When asked whether her husband had any dispute with anyone she said she does not know of any bad relation with anyone. She also claimed that Shaker mixed with everyone and had no envy towards anyone.

In a tearful voice Ruma said, “Find out who took my husband away. Bring the person who did this work in front of me.”