Police were trying to track down a woman who had visited the house of Shaikh Nurul Islam Faruqi hours before he was murdered Wednesday, as Islamist organisations called for the investigation to be expedited.
At a demonstration in the capital yesterday, Bangladesh Islamic Front, Ahle Sunnat wal Jamaat and its student wing, Islami Chhatra Sena, demanded that Faruqi’s killers be arrested. They threatened to enforce a hartal on Sunday if police failed to arrest the killers by today. However, a formal hartal announcement has not yet been made.
The mystery woman had telephoned the slain cleric repeatedly in order to visit him at his home. Witnesses said the woman, who looked to be in her forties, was nervous and behaved oddly during her two-hour stay at Faruqi’s house.
“Where the woman came from is still a mystery. We are trying to track her down. We have seized Faruqi’s SIM cards and mobile telephone sets,” Dhaka Metropolitan Police Deputy Commissioner of Tejgaon zone Biplob Kumar Sarker told the Dhaka Tribune.
Faruqi’s wife, Lubna, told the Dhaka Tribune: “If the woman is not using her previous SIM card any more, the police can still trace the mobile set. If she is caught, the main culprits will be traced.”
About the visitors to Faruqi’s house who had been detained for questioning, he said: “The three detainees were victims of the incident. We found no evidence of their involvement in the killing and released them on Thursday. Information obtained from them may help the investigation.”
Investigation Officer Munshi Sabbir Ahmed told the Dhaka Tribune: “Family members have told us about the mysterious woman. I do not want to disclose any more information at this time in the interests of the investigation.”
He said: “The members of the household said the mystery woman identified herself as Asma, which could be a fake name. Her connection to the killing is not yet clear. We are investigating the case from different angles.”
The central president of Islami Chhatra Sena, Nurul Islam Chishti, told the Dhaka Tribune that a formal announcement of Sunday’s hartal will be made today at a party press conference.
Bangladesh Islamic Front Secretary General MA Matin said they had not yet decided to call a hartal, but did not see improvements in the police investigation. He said the group’s position on a possible hartal would be clarified today.
On Thursday, Faruqi’s son Faysal Faruqi filed a case with Sher-e-Bangla Nagar police station, accusing some 10 unnamed people in the killing of his father.
Faysal told the Dhaka Tribune: “The woman played the role of informer. She came to examine the environment and security arrangements of the house. She may have checked for security cameras inside the house.”
He said: “We told the police about her. The woman’s movements were suspicious and she appeared to be nervous during her visit.”
RAB Additional Director General Col Ziaul Ahsan told the Dhaka Tribune: “Up to now, we do not have any further information about the woman.”
Faruqi’s namaz-e-janaza was held at the National Eidgah yesterday after Jumma prayers.
Baitul Mukarram Khatib Professor Mohammad Salahuddin conducted the janaza.
Chief Justice Mohammad Mozammel Hossain, Md Ibrahim Bahar, president of Hajj Agencies Association of Bangladesh, Faruqi’s sons Ahmed Reza Faruqi and Faysal Faruqi and others attended the janaza.
Faruqi is expected to be buried in Panchagarh today around 11am next to his father’s grave, after the last janaza is held.
On Wednesday night, unidentified armed assailants slaughtered Faruqi, a presenter of religious programmes on Channel i, at his residence in the capital’s east Rajabazar area.
The deceased was the presidium member and international affairs secretary of Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat – an organisation known for opposing the views of Jamaat-e-Islami.
Apart from anchoring the “Shantir Pothe” and “Kafela” programmes on Channel i, he owned Faruque Tours and Travels Private Limited, a Hajj travel agency, and served as the imam of the Supreme Court Mosque.