A Dhaka court has issued non-bailable arrest warrants against three former Dhaka metropolitan magistrates and an investigation officer in the murder case of dentist Ahmed Mahi Bulbul, directing them to appear as witnesses.
Acting Judge Zahidul Islam of the 13th Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge’s Court in Dhaka passed the order on Sunday, the scheduled date for recording witness testimonies.
However, no witnesses appeared before the court on the day. The court fixed January 12 for the next hearing and issued the warrants to ensure the appearance of the three former magistrates and the investigation officer, said Sohel Mia, bench assistant of the court.
The three former magistrates are Atikul Islam, Mehedi Hasan and Mainul Islam. While serving at the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate’s (CMM) Court in Dhaka, they recorded the confessional statements of three accused in the case.
The investigation officer is Inspector Muhammad Delwar Hossain of the Mirpur Zonal Team.
On September 27, former Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Mohammad Sheikh Sadi testified in the case. He had recorded the confessional statement of accused Russell Hossain.
Of the 23 witnesses in the case, 16 have testified so far.
Dentist Ahmed Mahi Bulbul was stabbed to death by muggers at around 5:30am on March 27, 2022.
Following the incident, his wife, Shammi Akter, filed a case with Mirpur Model Police Station on the same day, accusing unidentified individuals.
After completing the investigation, Inspector Muhammad Delwar Hossain submitted a charge sheet to the court on September 24, 2022, naming five people as accused.
The accused are Md Raihan alias Sohel Apan, Russell Hossain Hawlader, Aryan Khan Hridoy, Solaiman and Ripon. All five are currently in jail.
According to the charge sheet, Ahmed Mahi Bulbul left his home at around 5:15am on March 27 to travel to Noakhali for contract-related work and took a rickshaw to the Shewrapara bus stand.
When the rickshaw reached the main road in front of the Navana Furniture showroom in West Kazipara, Ripon and Russell intercepted it and demanded Bulbul’s valuables, threatening to stab him if he refused.
When Bulbul refused to surrender his mobile phone, Ripon stabbed him in the thigh, snatched the phone and fled. Bulbul collapsed on the road with serious injuries.
The charge sheet further states that the muggers later sold Bulbul's stolen mobile phone for Tk1,500 and shared the money among the five accused.