The file photo shows Golam Hossain Akash, younger brother of recently slain Dada Tapan. Akash was killed in a "shootout" with Rab early yesterday.Photo: File PhotoTwo top leaders of outlawed Purbo Banglar Communist Party (PBCP-Janajuddho) faction were killed during a "shootout" between their cohorts and Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) at Ganeshpur village under Khoksa upazila of Kushtia district early yesterday.
They are Golam Hossain Akash, 38, younger brother of recently slain Janajuddho chief Abdur Rashid Malitha alias Dada Tapan, and Abdur Rashid Tikka, 37, regional leader of the outfit.
Rab arrested Akash in a hideout of Dada Tapan soon after Tapan along with a woman cadre was killed in a "shootout" with the elite force at Baradi village in Kushtia Sadar upazila on June 18.
They raided Akash's house at Udibari in Kushtia and recovered one 7.65mm pistol, 895 bullets, one computer, one fax machine, one motorcycle, 2768 books and 500 leaflets of Janajuddho.
Tikka, who was a leader of outlawed Gono Mukti Fouj (GMF), joined PBCP (Janajuddho) three months ago as its regional leader.
Rab sources said they took Akash to Dhaka for interrogation after the judicial magistrate's court, Kushtia, placed him on eight days' remand on June 24.
During interrogation at Task Force Intelligence (TFI) cell in Dhaka, Rab extracted information from Akash about hidden firearms of the outlawed outfit and its cadres scattered in the southern and northern regions, sources said.
He also disclosed that the operatives of the Janajuddho faction were scheduled to sit in a meeting at Ganeshpur on Thursday night.
On Akash's statement, Rab-12 personnel left Dhaka for Kushtia on Thursday night taking Akash with them.
When they reached Ganeshpur Eidgah at around 3:30am, the Janajuddho operatives led by regional leader Tikka opened fire on the Rab men, prompting them to retaliate.
According to the Rab press release, handcuffed Akash tried to jump out of Rab microbus during the "shootout" and received bullets. He died on the spot while other operatives managed to flee.
Rab later found the bullet-hit body of Tikka on the spot and recovered one AK-47 rifle, two rifles, two revolvers and 22 bullets from there, the release added.
This is another big blow to Janajuddho, one of the factions of PBCP-ML, after the death of its founder Dada Tapan. He was leading the faction since its establishment in 2003.
RISE OF AKASH
Akash was the youngest among four sons of poor farmer Ebadat Malitha at Bishaykhali in Jhenidah district. He had studied up to class eight at a school in Jhenidah.
Akash joined the PBCP on instruction of his brother Dada Tapan in 2001 when Dada was in jail.
Sources said Dada asked Akash to form a group within the party with his loyalists. Akash formed a group that snatched Dada from police on Khulna judge's court premises on January 26, 2002.
Eventually, Akash was made second-in-command of Janajuddho fction.
According to law enforcement agencies, illegal money earned through extortion, and arms and ammunition of the banned outfit were under the control of Akash. He was also assigned to supervise the cadres' activities and make operation plans.
TIKKA
Son of late Habibur Rahman of Ganeshpur village, Tikka had his graduation from Khoksa College in 1996.
Police of different police stations in Kushtia, Rajbari and Jhenidah said Tikka was wanted in at least 28 cases including three for murder, 15 for extortion and 10 for abduction.
He kidnapped Osmanpur union BNP president Abu Ahmed Arabi and college teacher Mausud Ahmed on April 17, 2006 and killed them.
Tikka became a outlawed party boss after the death of NBCP chief Akdil Hossain on February 1 this year. Akdil was killed in "crossfire" with police. He was also sentenced to life term imprisonment in an arms case.
