For several months he tried his level best to save life with support from the authorities.
Despite all his efforts, the recent sensational abduction and killing of war councillor Nazrul Islam in Narayanganj portrays a mysterious and ominous inaction of the administration and powerful men in the port city and the capital.
Sensing danger at least a couple of months before his abduction on April 27, Nazrul went to police, RAB and even the junior minister of the Home Ministry that runs the forces.
He also knocked the doors of all influential people around him including local Awami League lawmaker Shamim Osman, known as the most powerful person of the port city (many consider him as “godfather”) for help.
Nazrul’s 42-year-old younger brother Abdus Salam talked to this correspondent several times in the last one week.
He said: “My brother informed the authorities and some influential people either verbally or in writing two months before his abduction about some information that a conspiracy was going on to eliminate him.
“He wanted help from the authorities to save his life.”
Nazrul gave a written letter to State Minister of Home Affairs Md Asaduzzaman Khan 15 days before his abduction seeking help. “The Home Ministry forwarded the letter to the headquarters of the police and RAB. He also sent a letter to RAB 11 in Narayanganj with the same urge about 15 days before the abduction. He informed the local superintendent of police and the local administration,” Salam said.
Asaduzzaman yesterday admitted to the Dhaka Tribune that Nazrul had met him twice – first time, much before the abduction incident to inform him about his risk of life. “At that time, I asked the RAB director general to take steps.”
And the second time, Nazrul met him few days before the abduction to talk about the same issue. “Then I asked him to file a general diary with the police station concerned and inform me so that I could take the next step. But he did not inform me. Maybe he did not get time, and in the meantime, he was abducted and killed,” the junior minister added.
Ruling Awami League leader Nazrul was an elected councillor and panel mayor of Narayanganj City Corporation. He was a contractor by profession.
The slain ward councillor was abducted in early afternoon on April 27 along with six others while going to Salam’s house at Jatrabari for lunch. They came out of the Narayanganj court in two cars after securing bail in a criminal case filed against him. Bodies of the seven abducted people were found in Shitalakkhya River on April 30.
According to many locals, he was known politically as Shamim Osman’s man while the main accused of his murder, another local AL leader and ward councillor Nur Hossain, is also labelled as an associate of the lawmaker.
Nazrul’s brother Salam said he had also met Shamim – first, seven days before the abduction and then, three days before – seeking help.
Salam said when he had gone to the MP seven days before the abduction, “he told me ‘I will look into the matter. You may go.’”
Nazrul’s wife Selina Islam and Salam claimed that Nazrul had also told them that Nur Hossain was conspiring to kill him with the help of elite force RAB.
Salam said a couple of months ago, “he [Nazrul] told me that Nur Hossain was contacting with RAB’s Tarek, Arif and Rana to kill him.”
The three officers were RAB 11 (in Narayanganj) commanding officer Lt Col Tarek Sayeed Mohammad and Maj Arif Hossain from the army, and Lt Commander SM Rana from the Navy.
They were withdrawn from Narayanganj RAB a couple of days after the abduction incident. They were sent back to their mother organisations. Later, the Army and the Navy dismissed them by sending them to forced retirement.
Tarek is the son-in-law of Disaster Management Minister Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya.
Salam said after the abduction incident, the then Narayanganj SP, who has also been withdrawn centring the incident, told him that Nazrul had earlier informed the official about the conspiracy.
Nazrul’s wife Selina expressing frustration said: “No one took any step or measure [over the request of Nazrul]; the administration did nothing.”
Echoing her, Salam said: “No one helped Nazrul, no one helped us.”
The family members cannot think what more they could do to save Nazrul’s life.
“It seems that all [who were asked for help] were involved in the killing,” Salam anticipated. “We were speaking about the killing for two months. I think all – RAB and police – took money [to kill him],” he alleged.