Investigators are getting close to identifying the killers of courier service employee Nahid Hossain, but there has been little headway in the investigation into the murder of shop worker Mursalin.
Both Nahid and Mursalin died due to injuries sustained during clashes between New Market traders and Dhaka College students on April 19. Nahid was found with critical injuries in front of Nurjahan Super Market, while Mursalin was found injured before Chandrima Super Market.
Nahid succumbed to his injuries at Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) on the evening he was found, while Mursalin passed away on April 21.
Sources at Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Detective Branch (DB), which is investigating both the murders, said police were able to make progress in the investigation into Nahid’s murder as the incident was caught on CCTV camera at Nurjahan Super Market. However, the footage did not clearly capture all the attackers, hampering their identification.
Most of the suspects in the murder are under surveillance to verify their involvement. The identity of three of the attackers has been all but confirmed, but two others are still unknown, the DB sources added.
“The place where Nahid was attacked was under cover of a CCTV camera of Nurjahan Super Market, and that helps little,” said an official of DB, requesting to be unnamed. “We are trying to use various sources to identify the attackers.”
On the other hand, there is no CCTV camera footage of the Mursalin murder, leaving investigators almost completely in the dark. The students pelted the shop worker with brickbats from the roof of a Dhaka College building adjacent to Chandrima Super Market.
Nahid’s attackers
DB Joint Commissioner Mahbub Alam told Dhaka Tribune that a group of 5-6 agitators from Dhaka College had attacked Nahid.
“We are still at the identity verification stage. There may be two or three unidentified persons,” he added.
Earlier, sources among police and students who had seen the footage of the attack claimed the identities of three of the attackers were Emon, Quiyum and Sujon Islam. All three are reportedly Bangladesh Chhatra League activists.
Apart from the killers, detectives have singled out around 10 students who were violent during the clashes. They are all also reportedly activists and leaders of Bangladesh Chhatra League’s Dhaka College unit.
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Focus on students
Since the clashes, detectives have picked up several students at Dhaka College and released them after interrogation. However, no one among the shopkeepers and traders has been taken into custody yet.
Police sources said they believe Dhaka College students had planned to attack shops on the day of the clashes, but fighting was restricted to the streets when they were confronted by the traders.
Sources at Dhaka College said six students had been picked up by police so far, but all of them were released after questioning. Most general students have left their hostels in fear of further drives by the law enforcement agencies.
However, a source at the Dhaka College Chhatra League unit claimed that at least three students had been detained by police. They are Chhatra League Dhaka College unit convening committee members Jashim Uddin, Atikuzzaman Rana and Titas.
DB Joint Commissioner Mahbub Alam dismissed reports that a Chhatra League activist by the name of Rabbi had been arrested from Panchagarh as an unsubstantiated rumour.
“We have not detained or arrested any students,” he said.
Dhaka College Principal (In Charge) Prof ATM Moinul Hossain said he had been informed about one student who had been picked up. He urged investigators not to harass students still staying at the halls.