They are active on Facebook and attended party programmes recently. But police claim they have no clue about the fugitives convicted for murdering Bishwajit Das, an innocent tailor.
Two years have passed since Bishwajit was barbarically killed in front of law enforcers and civilians in Old Dhaka and almost a year since the verdict. But 13 out of the 21 convicts – all activists of Jagannath University unit Chhatra League – are still at large.
Of the 13 absconding convicts, two were awarded death penalty while others given life-time imprisonment by a speedy trial tribunal on December 18 last year.
Such a state of affairs has put the family members of Bishwajit into anxiety. They have demanded immediate arrest of the killers and execution of the verdict to ensure justice.
Bishwajit died shortly after being beaten and hacked by the convicts in Bahadur Shah Park area near the Judge’s Court on December 9, 2012. The incident was widely publicised in the media as many camerapersons and photojournalists had been present in the area to cover the BNP’s blockade programme.
It also raised an outcry over the credibility of the law enforcers in containing crimes committed by activists of the ruling party.
Following the incident, police filed a case with Sutrapur police station accusing 25 unidentified people. Detective Branch (DB) of Police investigated the case and accused 21 people in the charge sheet pressed on March 5 last year while the formal trial began on June 2 at the Dhaka’s Speedy Trial Tribunal 4.
The death row convicts are Md Rafiqul Islam Shakil, Mahfuzur Rahman Nahid, Emdadul Haque Emdad, GM Rasheduzzaman Shaon, Quiyum Miah Tipu, Saiful Islam, and absconding Rajon Talukder and Mir Md Noor-e-Alam Limon.
Golam Mostafa and AHM Kibria, currently in police custody, and fugitives – Monirul Haque Pavel, Obaidul Quader Tahsin, Imran Hossain, Khondoker Md Yunus Ali, Tarique Bin Zohor Tamal, Azizur Rahman Aziz, Al Amin Sheikh, Mosharraf Hossain, Rafiqul Islam, Md Alauddin and Kamrul Hasan – were sentenced to life-term imprisonment.
Among the convicts those who are in custody have appealed with the High Court against the judgement. The appeals are pending for hearing.
Although the law enforcers have so far failed to arrest the convicts, many of the convicts were attending party programmes, a Jagannath University (JnU) unit leader of the Chhatra League – the ruling party’s student wing – said seeking anonymity.
Lifer Kamrul was seen attending a Chhatra League rally held at the capital’s Suhrawardy Udyan on August 31. Imran participated in a programme held at the JnU central auditorium on August 25.
University correspondents of two different media confirmed to the Dhaka Tribune that they had talked to Imran while he was going out of the campus.
Another Aziz was also seen in front of the Awami League’s central office on Bangabandhu Avenue on August 15 – National Mourning Day, several Chhatra League leaders of the JnU unit confirmed.
However, President of the unit FM Shariful Islam claimed that no Chhatra League leader was ever involved in the murder. “All of them are intruders,” he said.
Asked about the convicts’ joining party programmes, he said there was no such scope. “Still, if any one is found attending any Chhatra League programme they will be handed over to the police,” Sharif told the Dhaka Tribune.
Apart from attending programmes, the killers are also active on Facebook. One of the fugitive death row convicts Rajon Talukder posted on Facebook that he had left the country on July 15 last year.
The latest status posted by Rajon on Facebook says: “The person whose total life has been spent in clashes, attacks, gunfights, blasts and playing blood game, someone is threatening of beating him up. Totally gone confused.”
On Sunday, he uploaded some of his photos. Several sources confirmed that he is now staying in Kolkata – the West Bengal capital.
Sanowar Hossain, additional deputy commissioner of DB police and coordinating officer of the case’s investigation, said arrest warrants had been sent to the permanent addresses of the convicts, and that basically the police stations concerned would take action.
“We are aware of the fugitives and will arrest them as soon as we get valid information,” he added.
Family panicked
Bishwajit’s elder brother Uttam Kumar Das, who was happy after the verdict, has said he is in fear of attack all the time as he has to stay in Old Dhaka and run his tailoring shop in Shankhari Bazar.
“Since many of the killers are still absconding, it scares me as they harm me any time,” he told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday.
The bust of Bishwajit was erected at his village home in Shariatpur’s Naria after he was cremated. His parents say they are afraid of the fugitive killers. Local police, however, claimed that they were safeguarding the family.
Mother Kalpana Rani Das has urged the government to take immediate steps in executing the verdict after arresting the criminals.
Ananta Das, Bishwajit’s father, said his one last wish was to see execution of the court verdict.
“I have came to know from media reports that my son’s killers are moving freely. I cannot understand how the killers escape dodging the police. If such a situation continues, we will never get justice,” he said with a sigh.