Following allegations by Narayanganj ward Councillor Nazrul Islam’s relatives that RAB members were behind the abduction and killing of Nazrul and six others, the elite force has formed a body to probe the allegations.
The four-strong committee formed yesterday is headed by Additional Director General (administration) Aftab Uddin, confirmed Habibur Rahman, director of the force’s legal and media wing.
At a protest rally in Narayanganj on Sunday, Nazrul’s father-in-law Shahidul Islam claimed that RAB members had accepted a bribe of Tk6 crore for the abduction. Yesterday he claimed that son of a lawmaker brokered the deal with RAB in mid-April.
Some local workers saw a vehicle, belonging to RAB 11, parked near the abduction site on the morning of the kidnapping, Shahidul said, adding that the RAB men also showed their identity cards to the law enforcers who intercepted them while speeding away with the victims after the abduction.
Lt Col Tareque Sayeed Mohammad, the commanding officer of RAB 11 at the time of the kidnapping, was withdrawn from his post soon after the incident.
A senior RAB official yesterday told the Dhaka Tribune that they were yet to decide how many members of the unit would be questioned by the committee. “If needed, we will issue letters to the accused RAB members for arranging meetings with them,” he said.
On April 27, unidentified abductors kidnapped Nazrul, also a panel mayor, and his four aides, along with lawyer Chandan Sarker and his driver. The bodies of six victims were found floating on Shitalakkhya River on April 29, while another the following day.
Although Nazrul’s wife Selina Islam had initially blamed Awami League MP Shamim Osman for the kidnapping, Selina, her father and also local lawmaker Shamim Osman later accused another ward councillor, Nur Hossain, of being responsible for the abduction and murders.
Locals say Nazrul and Nur were both known as close aides to Awami League MP Shamim Osman. The slain councillor fell out of the MP’s grace after Osman had lost the city’s mayoral race to Selina Hayat Ivy.
Nazrul and Nur also reportedly had feuds over establishing dominance in politics and illegal businesses.
No significant progress in investigation
Following the abduction, Nazrul’s wife filed a case against Nur, also the vice-president of Shiddhirganj unit of Awami League, and Hazi Yasin, general secretary of the same unit, and four others.
As the police failed to make any significant progress in solving the case, it was handed over to the Detective Branch (DB) of Police.
On Sunday, the law enforcers seized a car of Nur’s brother Nuruzzaman, suspecting it to be used in the abduction and killings.
Also on the same day, detectives produced 15 detainees, including 11 detained from Nur’s house, before a Narayanganj court, seeking remand. The court granted seven days’ remand for six of them and two days’ each for the nine others.
“We are interrogating them. They have revealed important information. It will help us to reach a conclusion soon,” said DB Inspector Abdul Awal, the investigation officer of the case.
MP’s son involved
Nazrul’s father-in-law Shahidul yesterday said: “Three or four days before the abduction, my source in Nur’s group told me about the Tk6 crore-deal to kill Nazrul. The source then said son of an MP had handed over the money to RAB six to seven days before.”
Shahidul told the Dhaka Tribune that his brother Hasmat Ali Hasu, also an accused in the case, Yasin and Nur had raised the amount.
Being informed, he told his daughter about the deal and then Selina conveyed the information to Nazrul, according to Shahidul.
However, the Dhaka Tribune could not verify the claims made by Shahidul.
Nur’s 11 arms licences cancelled
The Narayanganj administration yesterday cancelled the licences of 11 firearms which were permitted to Nur, his aides and relatives, confirmed Deputy Commissioner Md Anisur Rahman Mia.
Nur and his associates received the licences for seven shotguns, two pistols, a rifle and a revolver in the last two years. The licence for a rifle and a pistol were provided in 2012 and the rest in 2013.