Russell Mia alias Russell Matubbar, the alleged murderer of Barisal University student Saoda Aktar Mallik did not appear to have any remorse about the crime he committed, when he was produced before the media by the Barisal Metropolitan Police.
Saoda was hacked to death on September 5 after she broke up with Russell, also a student of the university. After the attack on Saoda, Russell was absconding for nearly a week, until he was arrested on Thursday evening from near the port in Chittagong.
Russell admitted to killing Saoda in several notes found by the police. He was brought back to Barisal on Friday noon and a press brief was arranged by the Barisal Metropolitan Police (BMP) in the afternoon.
The briefing was attended by Shoyeb Ahmed, deputy police commissioner (headquarters), BMP assistant commissioners Atikur Rahman and Mujahidul Islam, investigation officer (IO) of the case Shakhwat Hossain and Kotwali station in charge (investigation) Motiur Rahman.
At the briefing, the police said Russell appeared to be mentally stable and physically strong. They said he had no signs of remorse over the murder.
He will be placed before the magistrate on Sunday to submit his confessional statement under section 164 of the penal code.
Under primary interrogation, Russell said Saoda’s family knew about their long term relationship, both physical and emotional. They initially agreed on their marriage, however, they later said no to Russell, and assaulted him. He said they also insulted and humiliated his family because they are poor and from a lower social status.
Russell said he bought a dao (small sword) from the city’s Bazaar Road on September 4, and had planned to abduct Saoda using the weapon to threaten her. But the next day, when he went to Saoda’s dorm, he forced her to get on a rickshaw with him saying they would go to the campus.
He told her he wanted to talk about their marriage so Saoda agreed. He said when she suddenly changed her mind and started to shout; he became angry and began to strike her with the weapon.
Russell said he fled the scene immediately, and first he brought a pair of sandals from Battala Bazaar and went to Mawaby bus. On September 6, he stayed in Dhaka with a friend and worked for the next two days as day labourer at a construction site in Gazipur.
He left Dhaka for Chittagong on September 9 and worked as a labourer in the port area. He said he was in touch with his family on mobile phone for which he used six different SIM cards.
Russell said he had considered committing suicide by jumping in front of a train near Dhaka airport, but then changed his about killing himself. He said he came to justify his actions by deciding that the murder was his revenge.