The Narayanganj city has turned into a city of rumours as the law enforcers are yet to trace any of the killers of seven people including a ward councillor and lawyer. The police have made no visible progress in their investigation.
Most people, including the councillor’s wife and relatives, believe that elite force RAB is directly involved with the abductions.
The situation has worsened further as two powerful political “rivals” of Narayanganj – city Mayor Selina Hayat Ivy and Awami League lawmaker Shamim Osman have pointed fingers at each other for the killings.
The bodies of Councillor and Panel Mayor Nazrul Islam, senior lawyer Chandan Sarkar and five others were found in Shitalakkhya River on Wednesday and Thursday.
Yesterday, Narayanganj District Lawyers’ Association enforced a hartal protesting the death of Chandan peacefully. During the shutdown, rail and road communication were suspended while shops were closed.
The association arranged a rally in front of the press club in the morning which continued until afternoon. From the rally, the lawyers blamed RAB for the abduction. They also demanded legal action against Lt Col Tareque Sayeed Mohammad, the recently removed commanding officer of RAB 11.
President of the association Shakhawat Hossain said removal of three RAB officials was not enough. “The authorities have to bring them to book after independent probe into the incidents.”
Meanwhile, Shahidul Islam, father-in-law of Nazrul, claimed that RAB had killed the seven people in exchange of Tk6 corer which they had got from the main suspect, Councillor Nur Hossain, and his associates.
However, when his body was recovered wife Selina Akhter Beauty had told reporters that Shamim Osman might be behind the abduction.
Shahidul yesterday claimed that her daughter had been wrong.
“We have realised that Osman was not involved. He has helped us to find Nazrul,” he told reporters at an informal press meet with the Awami League lawmaker sitting beside him.
In the afternoon, the family members arranged a rally at Shiddhirganj demanding arrest of the killers. Shamim Osman was present.
Ivy, Shamim blame each other
Meanwhile, in front of the Nagar Bhaban, colleagues of Nazrul observed work abstention since the morning.
Mayor Ivy speaking at the gathering said: “The dwellers of Narayanganj are anxious over the consecutive incidents of forced disappearance and abduction. They have become prey to a certain family.”
Indicating Shamim Osman, she said people wanted respite from the godfathers of criminals. “People are yet to get justice in the killing of school student Towki, businessman Ashique, Bhulu and cultural person Didarul Islam.
“The family buys every official of the law enforcement agencies and the local administration. People do not dare to talk against them. If they speak up, they are disappeared and get killed.”
Following the rally, she told reporters: “I do not know whether RAB is involved in the abductions. But it is true that a family in Narayanganj has huge manpower and cohorts who can abduct seven people in broad daylight.”
On the other hand, Shamim Osman told reporters: “Abu Sufiyan, a close aide of Ivy, threatened to kill Nur and me. Sufiyan has used abusive towards me. I have a video of that. I think whoever is involved should be brought to book.”
The lawmaker also said if any member of the law enforcement agencies had committed the abductions in exchange of money, the person should be arrested.
“If Ivy blames me, it means she knows everything about the abductions. She should be arrested and interrogated,” he said.
Police seize a ‘suspected’ car
Lawmen yesterday confiscated a car from a glass factory owned by an in-law of Shamim Osman at Shiddhirganj, suspecting that it was used in the abduction and killing of Nazrul.
Officials at the factory said Nuruzzaman alias Joj Mia, younger brother of main accused Nur Hossain, owns the car.
The vehicle (Dhaka Metro-Ga 29-8862) was found inside the compound of JMS Glass Industries Ltd at Shimrail. Not only the doors, but also all the four wheels of the car, were found locked.
Shamsuddin Ahmed, an uncle-in-law of Shamim Osman, is the managing director and one of the eight owners of the factory, General Manager Abdul Awal said.
“Sometimes they used to park the car here for one or two years. But since the driver kept the car here on Friday afternoon, nobody came to take it back,” he said. Habib, a member of the Detective Branch of Police, said they had raided the factory around 11:30am on a tip-off.
Case transferred to DB
The case filed over the abduction and killing of Nazrul and his aides has been transferred to the DB police.
Mahbubur Rahman, officer-in-charge of DB in Narayanganj, said they had been given the charge yesterday to probe the case.
A day into the abduction of Nazrul, his wife filed the abduction case with Fatulla police station on Monday against Nur Hossain, Shiddhirganj unit AL General Secretary Hazi Yasin and four others.
The law enforcers on Saturday seized a microbus suspected to be used in the abduction and detained at least 10 people raiding the house of Nur Hossain. The police, however, failed to arrest Nur Hossain or any member of his family during the raid.
Police stay mum
Narayanganj Police Superintendent Khandoker Mahid Uddin claimed that they had got some important clues during the investigation.
“It is a well-planned murder. So, we are progressing cautiously,” he said.
The official said there were 16 people when they had raided Nur’s house yesterday.
Police also got important information from the two detainees from who the mobile set of lawyer Chandan was recovered. The paper of the car recovered on Saturday has been cross examined by the BRTA.
Meanwhile, police yesterday produced 11 arrestees before a Narayanganj court. They were granted seven-day remand.