Police have arrested a youth in connection with the murder of Mohammad Mohsin alias Mousumi Hijra, 52, a leader of the hijra community, in Chittagong’s Khulshi area.
Md Momin alias Sheikh Rony, 34, was arrested from the city’s Pahartali area around noon on Monday.
Police said Momin confessed during preliminary interrogation to his involvement in the killing. According to police, Mousumi had called him to her home on the pretext of giving him money. The two later argued over a sexual relationship, and Momin allegedly strangled her with a nylon strap before fleeing.
Momin is a resident of Sabdalpur village in Nachole upazila of Chapainawabganj. He currently lives at the home of another hijra leader, Falghuni Hijra, in Pathanpara near Sagarika Stadium under Pahartali Police Station. He is reportedly Falghuni’s husband.
Police identified Momin from CCTV footage and arrested him during a special operation at Falghuni’s residence.
During interrogation, Momin reportedly told police that Mousumi called him to her home around 1:00am on the night of the incident, saying she would give him money. He had visited her home previously as well.
Police said Mousumi allegedly pressured him to engage in a sexual relationship after he arrived. When he refused, the two got into an argument. At one point, Momin allegedly strangled her with a nylon strap and fled.
Khulshi Police Station OC Abdur Rahim told Dhaka Tribune that Momin was identified through CCTV footage.
“The footage shows a man wearing a white T-shirt entering Mousumi’s room and staying there for nearly three hours. He entered at 1:14am and left at 3:52am. After his arrest, Momin confessed during preliminary interrogation to killing Mousumi, citing a dispute over a sexual relationship and money,” he said.
The OC added that police would provide further details at a press conference.
Earlier, police recovered Mousumi’s body from her home in the hijra colony near the Ambagan Railway Colony under Khulshi Police Station at around 10:30am on Saturday.
Her father, Rustam Ali, filed a murder case with Khulshi Police Station that night. Mousumi was originally from Daudkandi upazila of Comilla.
CCTV footage from the colony showed a man wearing a white T-shirt entering Mousumi’s room and staying there for nearly three hours. Police said the man was Momin.