Police claim to have uncovered the motive behind the murder of 13-year-old Ishayat Shahriar, alias Opratim, the only son of Dr Nahida Begum, an associate professor in the Bangla Department at Comilla University.
According to police, Opratim was taken to an isolated forest in the Sananda area of Lalmai Hill as part of a plan to steal his mother’s iPhone. When he resisted, the suspects struck him on the head with a bamboo stick. After confirming his death, the three fled the scene with the phone, police said.
Police have arrested three people, including two teenagers, over the murder. They are Saiful Islam alias Tuhin, 19, of Sananda near Comilla University; a 15-year-old from Salmanpur; and a 16-year-old from Hatigara in Comilla Adarsha Sadar upazila.
Police said none of the three had any previous criminal record. Another 19-year-old man has been detained and is being questioned to determine whether he was involved.
Comilla Superintendent of Police Md Anisuzzaman disclosed the details at a press conference at his office on Sunday afternoon. Additional Superintendents of Police Lutfur Rahman and Pankaj Barua, along with other senior police officials, were present.
The superintendent of police said the investigation began after a general diary (GD) was filed over Opratim’s disappearance.
CCTV footage from the scene and surrounding areas showed Tuhin, taking Opratim towards an isolated forest in the Sananda area of Lalmai Hill at around 3:15pm on Friday, September 18.
After Opratim’s body was recovered, police took Tuhin into custody based on the CCTV footage showing him with the victim. During interrogation, Tuhin allegedly admitted that Opratim had been deliberately taken there to steal his mobile phone. Based on his statement, police identified the involvement of the two teenagers.
Police said they later raided Saiful’s house based on information he provided and recovered Opratim’s iPhone.
However, district police had earlier said on Saturday night that the phone had been recovered from a house in the Salmanpur area.
According to police, the suspects attempted to snatch Opratim’s phone between 5pm and 6pm on September 18 in an isolated forest in the Sananda area of Lalmai Hill. When Opratim resisted, a scuffle broke out. Tuhin first struck him on the head with a stick, followed by the two teenagers. After Opratim died, Tuhin took his phone and the three fled the scene.
Police, however, described these details as preliminary findings based on information obtained during the suspects’ interrogation. A full investigation is still underway.
Following Opratim’s disappearance, Comilla University teachers and officials, along with law enforcement agencies, began searching for him. CCTV footage from the university area and Kotbari was reviewed.
One recording showed a teenager with Opratim near the university’s main gate. Another nearby CCTV camera later captured the same teenager taking Opratim with him. Police then spoke to local residents to verify his identity.
On Saturday afternoon, police recovered Opratim’s body from an isolated forest in Lalmai Hill in Sananda village of Bijoypur Union under Sadar South upazila. Police and local residents said there were signs of injuries to his head. The body was later sent for autopsy.
Questions were also raised at the press conference about possible links between the murder and a juvenile gang. Comilla Superintendent of Police Md Anisuzzaman said more than 250 teen gang members had been arrested in Comilla so far. He said police were investigating whether those arrested over Opratim’s murder had any links to such gangs.
Journalists also questioned police about allegations of drug use, juvenile gangs and the influence of local groups on and around the university campus. They also raised recent criminal incidents in Lalmai Hill and questioned the police response following Opratim’s disappearance.
Anisuzzaman said the issues were being investigated. He said Lalmai Hill remained under the control of law enforcement agencies and that police were taking measures to prevent crime there.
Responding to a question from journalists, the police superintendent urged parents to be more vigilant about their children. He said they should keep track of where and when their children go, whom they associate with and when they return home. He also advised parents to exercise caution when giving phones and other electronic devices to young children.
Opratim went missing on Friday afternoon after leaving his rented home in the Gandhamati area of Kotbari, Comilla. A seventh-grade student at Comilla Border Guard Public School, he had taken his mother’s iPhone after telling his family that he was going out to take photos with friends. He never returned home.
His family began searching for him and informed the university authorities and law enforcement agencies.