Main accused in the sensational murder of a retired army sergeant in 2016 has confessed to the killing over an extra-marital affair with the serviceman's wife.
The accused, Rafiqul Islam, hailing from Avangi village in Tangail’s Gopalpur, gave his confessional statement to Tangail Senior Judicial Magistrate Akramul Islam, under section 164, on Tuesday.
The body of Md Shamim, 40, body was recovered from Bairan river in Gopalpur, a week after Shamim left from Dhaka for Tangail on August 17, 2016.
Later, Detective Branch (DB) of police arrested three people - Shamim's wife Razia Begum, 30, Sujon, 28, from Baishkalpara of Gopalur, and Abdur Rahim, 30 - in connection with the murder.
Rafiqul was arrested after police started to suspect a fourth person was involved in the murder.
In his statement, Rafiqul said he and Shamim were close friends. After retiring, Shamim got himself involved with gambling, and started losing lots of money.
Soon, he started borrowing money from his associates and loan sharks, and when lenders started to pressurize him for money, he absconded in Dhaka. In Shamim's absence, Razia Begum started an illicit affair with Rafiqul. At the same time, she started a similar illicit affair with Sujon, another accused.
Then, she planned to kill her husband to continue her affairs with Rafiqul and Sujon, and also to get rid of the lenders.
According to her plan, Shamim was called to come to Tangail on August 17, 2016. As part of the plan, he was asked to come to his house using the road adjacent to Bairan River in Gopalpur, instead of the Sadar road.
When Shamim came in front of the Sundor Bridge, a chloroform-infused handkerchief was pressed to his mouth, upon which he fell unconscious.
Then, he was tied up and stabbed, and his body was thrown into the river. On August 24 that year, police recovered Shamim’s body.
According to Rafiqul, Razia planned the murder, while, Rafiqul, Sujon and Abdur Rahim carried out the act altogether.
Investigation officer of the case, Tangail Detective Branch Sub-Inspector Jahangir Alam said: "The victim’s wife Razia filed a case in Gopalpur police station, against some unidentified people. Police started a probe into the case and later handed it to the DB police (investigation).
"Later, we arrested Sujon and Rahim from Savar's Hemayetpur," he said. "Based on their confessions, we arrested Razia."
Afterwards, Sub-Inspector Hafizur Rahman, acting as the plaintiff, lodged a case several people including: Razia, Rafiqul, Sujon and Rahim, and a few unnamed others, with Gopalpur police station.
Jahangir arrested Rafiqul by using technological means, and finally, Rafiqul gave his statement to the judicial magistrate.
