The opening of a two-day mass hearing, arranged by the government probe committee to investigate seven murders in Narayanganj, failed to draw attention of mass people as only six persons gave deposition before it yesterday.
Wrong selection of spot, lack of publicity, people’s apathy and to some extent, fear resulted in the poor attendance during the hearing, locals say.
The probe body formed in line with a High Court order recorded depositions from 10am to 4pm at the Narayanganj Circuit House. The second mass hearing will take place on Thursday.
Earlier, the seven-strong committee headed by Md Shahjahan Ali Mollah, additional secretary of the Public Administration Ministry, recorded statements of family members and relatives of the seven victims at the deputy commissioner’s office on Sunday.
“Normally mass hearings are conducted in places where people have access and feel free to go. The Circuit House is not such a congenial place,” said Imamul Hasan, a motor parts trader at Chashara.
He also observed that people were afraid of Nur Hossain, the prime accused, as he might return someday and take revenge against them for testifying before the probe committee. Nur and his associates are not arrested yet.
Talking to this correspondent on Narayanganj Link Road, close to the mass hearing venue, student Soumitra Shekhar said: “We all know who
killed the seven people. Media reported the incident widely. I think the mass hearing committee also knows who the culprits are. So, we do not need to go there.”
Abdus Salam, brother of ward councillor Nazrul Islam who is one of the seven victims, said: “There would be more people if the committee arranged the hearing at Shiddhirganj, from where all the victims hail from.” He also said many people did not know about the hearing.
Nur, RAB blamed
Most of the people who testified yesterday told the committee that Shiddhirganj Awami League leader Nur Hossain had masterminded the abduction and killings in connivance with some officials of the local administration.
One of them Shahin Azad said Nur was loyal to local Awami League lawmaker Shamim Osman. “Motives behind the murders will become clear if the alleged law enforcers are interrogated,” he told the Dhaka Tribune after giving deposition.
Another witness advocate Abu Hasnat Abdullah after giving deposition told reporters that Nur had close ties with the local administration. For that, he got license of 11 firearms in exchange of money. “Nur hired RAB to kill his opponent Nazrul,” he said.
Locals – Jalal Uddin, Noor Hossain Munna, Abul Kashem and Mujibur Rahman – are the others who testified yesterday. But none of them witnessed the abduction or the killings.
Soon after the mass hearing began, Sakhawat Hossain, president of Narayanganj Ainjibi Samity, met the investigators and told them that cohorts and supporters of the alleged killers might also give deposition in the guise of common people.
‘Over 20 RAB men to be quizzed’
Along with the dismissed three RAB officials, a committee formed to arrest the people involved with the seven murder incident will quiz more than 20 members of RAB 11.
Subrata Halder, additional police superintendent of Narayanganj, yesterday said letters had already been sent to the former and incumbent RAB members.
An insider in the elite force said the police’s investigation team had collected the duty roaster of RAB of the day of abduction. Three of the 20 are drivers.
The offices of the deputy commissioner and police superintendent yesterday received copies of Sunday’s High Court order asking the government to arrest the three dismissed RAB officials in connection with the killings.