Police have denied reports that several people have been taken into custody in connection with the murder of teenage courier service worker Nahid Hossain during last week’s clashes between traders and Dhaka College students in the New Market area of the capital.
Law enforcement officials declined to disclose further details of the investigation, stressing that they would not make any arrests until they were sure of the involvement of any suspects.
On condition of anonymity, insiders from the investigation team, Dhaka College students and witnesses claimed some of the attackers in the CCTV footage of the murder appeared to be members of the college’s Bangladesh Chhatra League unit. Threee suspects were reportedly identified as Emon, Sujon Islam, and Kaiyum.
Detective Branch of Police (DB) Ramna unit Deputy Commissioner HM Azimul Haque on Sunday told the Dhaka Tribune: “We have not taken anyone into custody yet. We want to be 100% certain before making any arrests. Students speaking about arrests may be referring to the arrest [of BNP leader Moqbul Hossain by New Market police.”
Two murder cases have so far been filed over the New Market clashes that began on April 19. DB is investigating the case over the murder of Nahid, while New Market police are investigating the case over the murder of shop worker Morsalin.
The Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) is conducting a shadow investigation of both murders.
Some students of Dhaka College claimed RAB had picked up some students from the hostels, but RAB Legal and Media wing Deputy Director Hussain Roisul Azom Moni denied the allegation.
Earlier on Sunday, media reports quoting students claimed four students of Dhaka College, all Chhatra League activists, had been taken into police custody in connection with the New Market clashes.
Police verifying Moqbul’s presence during New Market clash
New market police sources said they are still verifying the presence of former president of Dhaka New Market thana BNP Advocate Moqbul Hossain during the clashes.
Moqbul is currently on a three-day remand after he was arrested from his home in Dhanmondi on Friday. A Dhaka court approved the remand on Saturday.
Police have accused Moqbul of instigating the clashes.
The BNP leader claims he was not involved in the clashes at all and that he was arrested for being a leader of an opposition party.
When contacted, New market zone Senior Assistant Commissioner Sharif Md Farukuzzaman said police are still verifying Maqbool’s presence during the clash.
Shahenshah, additional deputy commissioner of the zone, could not be reached by phone despite several attempts. However, he told an online news portal that Moqbul was still denying his presence at the scene, but police had information that he was indeed in the area and protesting during the clashes.
The ADC previously informed media that police are scanning footage from over 100 CCTV cameras in the area as part of their investigation into how the clashes began and who was responsible for the violence.
Moqbul is said to be the owner of the stores Welcome, and Capital Fast Food, the employees of which were involved in the initial altercation that sparked the clashes.