Investigators probing the death of former Air Force official Tahsif Souri are now focusing on a crucial 15- to 20-minute period on the night he went missing.
Police are trying to establish where Ahmed Shahriar Reza Dip, a junior friend of Tahsif, was during that period and whom he contacted while they were at Nest Bar and Restaurant in Uttara before Tahsif's death.
Investigators said they obtained some important information during Dip's first four-day remand, but several questions remain unanswered.
Police have yet to establish where Tahsif was killed, the motive behind the murder or whether anyone else was involved. Despite the emergence of several important pieces of evidence and information over the past week, the circumstances surrounding his death remain unclear.
To find answers to these questions, the naval police have taken Dip into custody for a second round of remand, this time for three days.
On Tuesday, November 3, Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Hasan Shahadat granted the three-day remand.
Earlier, Inspector Firoz Uddin of the Naval Police's Tongi outpost, the investigation officer in the case, had sought a further seven-day remand, citing eight reasons. The court granted three days.
Naval Police chief and Additional Inspector General Rezaul Karim told Dhaka Tribune: “The investigation is ongoing. We have obtained some important information. Further questioning is necessary. That is why Dip has been taken on remand for a second time.”
Questions over Dip's movements during 20 minutes
According to investigation sources, police are closely examining the movements of Dip and a young woman close to Tahsif before his death.
The remand application states that Dip had briefly left the premises while they were at Nest Bar and Restaurant. Investigators want to establish where he was during those 15 to 20 minutes and whom he contacted.
The police application states that it is necessary to examine where Dip went and whom he contacted after leaving the restaurant while he was with the victim.
Although investigators consider his movements during this period significant, no confirmed information has been disclosed about his whereabouts or communications.
Dip accused of evading questions
The investigating officer said in the remand application submitted to the court that Dip had provided some important information during the first round of questioning.
However, the information is still being verified.
The officer alleged that Dip was “extremely cunning” and had tactfully avoided answering several questions during interrogation, while remaining silent on others.
The application said further intensive questioning was necessary for this reason.
The investigator's claims have raised fresh questions about what information Dip provided during the first round of questioning, how much of it matched physical evidence, CCTV footage and witness statements, and which inconsistencies remain unresolved.
Police have not disclosed details of the information obtained during the first round of questioning, citing the interests of the investigation.
Investigators yet to establish murder location and motive
Although Tahsif's body was recovered from the Turag River, investigators have yet to establish where he was killed.
The second remand application submitted to the court cited the need to determine the location of the murder and gather information about the motive.
Naval police recovered Tahsif's floating body from the Rajabari Ghat area of the Turag River on the afternoon of October 28.
The previous evening, October 27, Tahsif had left his home in Uttara after receiving a call from Dip.
Police are analysing CCTV footage, mobile phone call detail records (CDRs) and other evidence to reconstruct the sequence of events.
Dip's statements and motorcycle recovery raise fresh questions
Dip, Tahsif's junior friend, has been under scrutiny since the investigation began.
On October 29, Dip said they had dinner together at a restaurant before parting ways near Uttara House Building.
However, investigation sources later said Dip had admitted to accompanying Tahsif to the Mazar Basti area of Tongi late at night.
Based on information provided by Dip, police recovered Tahsif's motorcycle from the area on the morning of October 30.
The recovery has raised questions about whether Dip's initial account matches the information subsequently obtained by investigators.
Eight reasons cited for second remand
The naval police cited eight reasons in their application seeking a second round of remand for Dip.
These include verifying collected CCTV footage in his presence, examining his movements and communications during the 15- to 20-minute period at Nest Bar and Restaurant, and collecting and analysing the CDRs of Tahsif, Dip and other people involved in the case.
The application also cited the need to uncover the motive behind the murder, identify and arrest other unidentified suspects, recover evidence, gather information about the motive and establish the location of the killing.
According to the investigation officer, information gathered so far indicates that Tahsif was seen with Dip and the young woman before his death, visiting different places and eating at various restaurants.
As Tahsif was last seen with them, investigators suspect they may have some involvement in the case, the application said.
Female friend also on remand as police examine final hours
A female friend of Tahsif has also been arrested in the murder case.
On Sunday, November 1, the court granted police permission to take her on a four-day remand.
Investigators said the woman was seen with Tahsif at a bar in Uttara on the night of the incident.
Police are now focusing on verifying the statements of the two people who were with Tahsif before his death and reconstructing their movements that night.
Tahsif's father, KM Enayetul Karim, filed a murder case against unidentified individuals at Uttarkhan police station in Dhaka on the night of October 30.
Dip was shown arrested in the case on the same day. The following day, a court sent him to a four-day remand.