Johnny Dey, a 16-year-old regional musician from Chittagong, was shot dead by miscreants on the coveted 'Eidgah-Eidgarh-Baishari' road in Cox's Bazar. The incident took place in Himchhari Dhala (Pattara) area of Eidgah Union around 8am on Thursday. Johnny is the son of Tapan of Charpara in Eidgarh union of Ramu upazila. He was a class XII humanities student of Eidgah Farid Ahmed Degree College.
Confirming the news, Ramu Police Officer-in-Charge (OC) KM Ajmiruzzaman told Prothom Alo that the singer was shot dead. His body was recovered and sent to Cox's Bazar Sadar Hospital Morgue for autopsy. Police are conducting operations to catch the culprits. Police initially thought he might have been shot dead by robbers.
His father, Tapan Dey, who was with the police and Johnny, said Johnny Dey performed at a function in Chakaria in the district on Wednesday night. This morning, Johnny and his father left Chakaria on their way home with a CNG-powered autorickshaw. When the autorickshaw reached Himchhari Dhala on Eidgah-Eidgarh-Baishari road around 8 am, some masked vehicles stopped the vehicle. They then shot Johnny and went into the woods.
According to Tapan, the father of the deceased Johnny, the masked men did not say anything to anyone and just shot Johnny down from the autorickshaw. When his death was confirmed, they fled to the forest. His suspicion is that it was a premeditated murder. Because, the miscreants did not say anything to him (father) and the autorickshaw driver or did anything to them.
According to family sources, Johnny used to go to different areas from home and earn money by performing regional songs of Chittagong. He is also very popular in the area. Johnny has no animosity with anyone in the area.
According to police and locals, the length of Eidgah-Eidgarh-Baishari road is 18 km. Eidgah of Cox's Bazar Sadar Upazila, Eidgarh of Ramu Upazila and some parts of Baishari Union of Bandarban have fallen on this road. Hills and hills on the side of the road. The narrow road above him is broken. Traffic on this road is closed after dusk for fear of robbery and kidnapping. The distance from Eidgah to Eidgarh Bazar in Ramu is about 10 km. Robbery and kidnapping for ransom are frequent in several areas of the road including Ghazalia, Eidgarh Dhala, Chagirakata, Himchhari Dhala, Bandobar Mukh. Although there were three police outposts around the road, it was not possible to resist the bandits as it was a remote hilly area.
Hafizul Islam Chowdhury, general secretary of Ramu's Gorjonia Union Beat Policing Forum, told Prothom Alo that it was risky to drive on the road from 8pm to 10am. In the last three years, at least eight people have been killed by robbers on this road. At least 60 people have been abducted for ransom. Several robbers were also killed in multiple gunfights with law enforcement.
In this regard, Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Cox's Bazar Sadar Model Police Station Munir Ul Gias told Prothom Alo that additional police have been deployed there to ensure road safety. Attempts are being made to catch the miscreants.
