Bangladesh arrests lawmaker over child's shooting

The incident sparked protests in the lawmaker's constituency Gaibandha and in Dhaka

DHAKA: Bangladesh police said Thursday they have arrested a ruling party lawmaker suspected of firing shots that seriously injured a nine-year-old boy.

Police arrested Manjurul Islam Liton from a relative's apartment in Dhaka on Wednesday night after the boy's father filed a case against him, superintendent of police Ashraful Islam told AFP.

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"He was accused of firing the shots at the boy. He'll be taken to a court later today," Islam said of the 45-year-old MP.

The government and the police had been criticised for failing to arrest Liton, a member of the ruling Awami League party, after the shooting two weeks ago.

Local media said the boy was out walking with his uncle when the MP drove past and called the man over.

Liton apparently became angry when the uncle did not respond, and pulled out his gun and fired it, missing the uncle and hitting the child, who is in hospital in a stable condition.

The incident sparked protests in Liton's constituency in the northern district of Gaibandha, and in the capital, Dhaka.

It was the latest in a series of similar incidents that have angered ordinary Bangladeshis.

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In June police arrested the son of a ruling party lawmaker after he shot and killed two people, in apparent anger over being stuck in a traffic jam.

This week the teenage nephew of a former ruling party lawmaker reportedly injured four people in a drunk-driving incident.

The Daily Star said police had yet to take any action against the 16-year-old boy, who did not have a driving licence.