College student Ghulam Faizullah Fahim, caught by locals after the failed attack, is from Dhaka while police suspect that at least another person was from Madaripur. Identities of those two attackers, and their planners and financiers could not be ascertained until yesterday.
The attackers fled the scene after neighbours of the victim, Government Nazimuddin College teacher Ripon Chakrabarty, 45, came to his aid hearing screams. The trio were hacking him at the entrance of his house in College Road area on Wednesday afternoon.
The victim, now undergoing treatment at a hospital in Barisal, yesterday confirmed that Fahim had hacked him on the head after the police showed him a photo of the attacker.
The arrestee, an HSC examinee of Rajuk Uttara Model College, yesterday claimed himself innocent saying that he had been victimised by his associates. But he admitted his connection with Hizb ut-Tahrir, saying that he was recruited by his senior college-mate Jubair Ahmed and two staff at a book shop named Mishkat Library in front of his college.
Since Wednesday night, the detectives launched drives in several districts to nab his associates and leaders of the group, but failed. Police yesterday said that Fahim had given them wrong and contradictory information during the interrogation.
Ziaul Morshed, OC of Madaripur sadar police, told the Dhaka Tribune that Fahim himself had confessed that he is an active member of Hizb-ut Tahrir. He was inspired by the activities of Islamic State. But he later made some inconsistent statements about his associates and leaders.
The officer hoped that they would be unearth the mystery behind the attack and arrest the other culprits at the end of Fahim’s 10-day remand granted yesterday.
After the attack, police recovered a pair of gloves and a machete from near the crime scene which were supposedly left by the trio while fleeing. But they did not find Fahim’s bag.
Fahim told police that the trio had thrown away their mobile phones after reaching Tekerhat area near Madaripur on Wednesday as per previous instruction by the planner, whom he does not know. Later, they met with a local lawyer and had a discussion to finalise the attack.
But Fahim did not give any authentic information about the motive of the attack. He said that he had no personal conflict with Ripon and that the attack was launched to embarrass the government, said an official involved with the investigation.
A popular mathematics teacher of the college, Ripon used to administer religious rituals in the area as he was a Brahmin. He is not involved with any political or social activities, police and locals said.
About leaving his house in the middle of the examinations, Fahim told the police that he had locked in an altercation with his parents several months ago about his ideology. Since then, he was avoiding his parents and finally took the decision of leaving the house and work for his group staying in a den.
Two intelligence reports recently said that over 100 members of the outlawed group had taken training to wage an armed revolution together with some members of Islami Chhatra Shibir. Moreover, some 450 leaders and activists of the organisation have remained absconding after getting bail. The reports suggest that its members were also involved in the recent targeted killings of secularists, LGBT rights activists and religious minorities.
Thursday, April 25, 2024
