CHITTAGONG, Nov. 16:–Principal of Nazirhat College Gopal Krishna Muhuri was gunned down by unidentified assailants at his city residence on Jamal Khan Road this (Friday) morning, reports UNB.
Family sources said the gunmen in masks stormed their 49/A residence at about 7.30 am and asked Muhuri about the hideout of BCL general secretary of Fatikchhari upazila unit Tayebur Rahman.
As the 60-year-old freedom fighter Muhuri expressed his ignorance about Tayebur, the angry gunmen shot him at pointblank range. He died on the spot as the bullets pierced his right ear and came out through the left one blowing up the scull.
The assailants whisked away in an auto-rickshaw without any resistance.
His body was lying on the chair as he was reading newspaper before the killing. When the IGP, who rushed to the spot after the killing, wanted to cover the body with a piece of cloth, Muhuri’s bereaved wife strongly opposed it saying that she would like to show the people how the country is now being run and what is the real law and order situation.
Muhuri joined the college in 1964 and the National University authorities recently extended his service by two years when he turned 60, angering the vested group.
Home Minister Altaf Hossain, who is now in the port city to attend the first law and order meeting of the district, rushed to the spot along with Labour and Employment Minister Abdullah Al Noman, IGP Moddabir Hossain Chowdhury, DIG (Chittagong range) Mozammel Haq and Police Commissioner Shahidullah Khan.
But they had to face a violent demonstration of local Chhatra League, Juba League, Hindhu-Buddha-Christian Oikya Parisad there. Police charged baton to disperse the demonstrators.
The Home Minister directed the police officials to arrest the killers within 24 hours.
While the ministers and the senior police officials leaving the house, they again fell prey to public anger and the Home Minister was silent when local journalists tried to know his reaction.
President of local Journalists Union and freedom fighter M Idris burst into tears and asked Employment Minister Noman whether the freedom fighters are at all safe now.
Noman described the killing as brutal and said, "I’m a local MP and I’ll continue my efforts to hunt down the killers.
During my student life I got help from Muhuri, I know him personally, he was a man of strong principles and his killers will be brought to justice.
Muhuri’s wife told UNB that a vested quarter had long been trying to grab the property of the college but they could not succeed in their plan due to her husband’s (principal) strong role.
She said her husband banned student politics on the college campus in 1975 and Islami Chhatra Shibir led by its top terror Nasir had made several abortive attempts to enter the campus in last few years in their bid to revive student politics.
Although Nasir is now in jail, his Bahini again tried to capture the college campus when the four-party alliance came to power, but failed.
Meanwhile, All Party Oikya Parisad brought out a procession carrying with the body of Muhuri and marched through the main city roads.
They also held a protest rally at the Press Club in the afternoon and announced a weeklong mourning and protest programmes.
Giving a seven-day deadline for arresting the killers, the speakers said tough programmes would be announced through a rally at the Lal Dighi Maidan on Novemver 23.
Chaired by city mayor ABM Mohiuddin Chowdhury, the rally was addressed, among others, by President of Hindu-Buddha-Christian Oikya Parisad Binod Bihari Chowdhury, CUJ President Mohammad Idrish, Secretary of College-University Teachers Association Kanai Lal Das, City AL (South) General Secretary Moslemuddin Ahmed, city unit general secretary of Workers Party Nasiruddin Nasu and city unit president of Bangladesh Communist Party Shah Alam.
All shops in Jamal Khan area remained closed while vehicular movement came to a halt after the killing of Muhuri.
Muhuri’s wife filed a case with local police indicting six people belonging to Jamaat-Shibir for the killing.
Home Minister visits
Principal's residence
BSS report adds: Home Minister Air Vice Marshal (Retd) Altaf Hossain Chowdhury on Friday visited the residence of Gopal Muhuri, a valiant freedom fighter and Principal of the Nazirhat Degree College who was gunned down by assailants in his residence this morning.
Receiving information of the tragic incident the Home Minister shortened his meeting with the BNP leaders and workers at Circuit House and rushed to the residence of the slain principal.
The Home Minister arrived in Chittagong this morning in a day-long programme on his first visit in the port city after formation of the present government.
Seeing the ghastly nature of the killing in which a part of the skull of the Principal was blown off and brains were scattered all over the room the Home Minister termed it an act of professional criminals."
"The incident has made us anxious, we have no language to condemn the horrified act" the Home Minister said asking the police administration to nab the killers immediately.
He console the wife of late principal, son and daughters and expressed deep sympathy to the members of the family.
Labour and Employment Minister Abdullah al Noman and senior leaders of BNP accompanied the Home Minister.
Source: Bangladesh Observer, Nov 16, 2002