Shahidul Islam, father-in-law of slain ward councillor Nazrul Islam, has suddenly become silent on the seven ghastly murders in Narayanganj.
Shahidul earlier blamed the RAB 11 men for the abduction and murders of seven people in exchange for Tk6 corer for the first time and apparently following his allegation three RAB officials were dismissed.
Since the abduction took place on April 27 he has also been blaming another Narayanganj City Corporation (NCC) Councillor and also Awami League leader Nur Hossain for hiring the elite force.
The Rab officials dismissed from their jobs are Commanding Officer of the Rab-11 Lt Col Tareque Sayeed Mohammad, Maj Arif Hossain and Lt Commander SM Masud Rana.
Of them, Tareque is the son-in-law of Disaster Management and Relief Minister Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya. While visiting his house at Mijmiji yesterday afternoon the correspondents asked Shahidul about the development of the incident. In reply, he just put his finger on his lips and said: “Hush. They asked me not to talk for two days. Don’t ask me any question.”
When asked who told him to refrain from speaking and be quiet he did not want to disclose the name. He also said that his family members were doubtful about any positive outcome to the investigation into the Nazrul murder case.
This correspondent had earlier phoned Shahidul before noon for an interview and Shahid asked him to come to his Mijmiji house. But he was not at home when the correspondents went there in the afternoon.
An on-duty policeman in front of the house said that Shahid had gone to the SP office.
After an hour some journalists went to the SP office to meet him but could not find him there. SP Dr Khandakar Mahid Uddin was found in an informal meeting with Shamim Osman in his room but Shahidul was not there.
When contacted right at that moment Shahidul told this correspondent that he had just gone out of the SP office and was heading for home.
When finally he met the correspondents in the evening he said: “Please do not ask me any question over the seven murders. I will keep quiet for two days.”
Asked if he had met the SP, Shahidul said he met nobody at the SP office.
When the district police chief was asked about his meeting with Shahidul, he also denied it. But the SP said Shamim Osman had come to his office for a courtesy visit as he is new in Narayanganj.
On April 27, Nazrul and his four aides along with senior lawyer Chandan Sarker and his driver were kidnapped. Their bodies were found floating in the Shitalakkhya River three days later. The other victims are Swapan, Tajul Islam, Liton, Jahangir and Ibrahim.
Conflicting statements came from the authorities on the arrest of an accused.
Reports were run in media that Hashmat Ali Hasu, the accountant of prime accused Nur Hossain, was arrested yesterday morning.
Home State Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal said an online media ran a report that Hasu was arrested early yesterday.
However, police, the RAB, and the BGB authorities told the Dhaka Tribune that they were not aware of such arrest.
A leading Bangla daily said the BGB men captured Hasu from the borders of Jessore.
Additional Police Superintendent of Narayanganj Mohammad Zakaria said: “We do not know about the arrest. I do not know how they came up with this report.”
The Narayanganj SP Khandakar Mahid Uddin said he was unaware of the arrest.
Jessore SP Anisur Rahman, RAB 6 Maj Masudur Rahman and BGB 26 Lt Col Motiur Rahman were also unaware of the arrest.
As the Dhaka Tribune later contacted the junior home minister, he assured that the arrest was made.
Meanwhile, the government drew flak from different quarters for not arresting three RAB officials who were sent to forced retirement over their alleged role in the murders despite a High Court order.