Unidentified assailants hacked to death a union parishad (UP) member and a local Awami League leader, the party whose activities remain banned, in Harinakundu upazila of Jhenaidah on Wednesday night.

The victim, Monaem Hossain, alias Molam, 50, was of Kalishankarpur village of Harinakundu upazila, said Masum Khan, officer-in-charge of Harinakundu Police Station.

According to locals and relatives, he was a member of Ward No 9 of Bhayna Union Parishad and the president of the ward committee of AL.

Police, relatives, and locals said Monaem was returning home from Kalishankarpur Bazar around 8:30pm. When he reached the area behind Kalishankarpur Government Primary School, the assailants attacked him with sharp weapons and fled.

Locals rescued him in a critical condition and took him to Kushtia Medical College Hospital. At around 10:30pm, a doctor at the hospital's emergency department declared him dead on arrival.

His wife, Shilpi Khatun, said her husband had previously been involved in Awami League politics.

“Police went to the spot. The body is currently at Kushtia Medical College Hospital,” the OC said.