Tavella murder weapon still untraced

Police recovered the US-made pistols – an automatic 7.65mm pistol with five bullets and another automatic pistol with two bullets – from Madhya Badda on February 23 this year and submitted those to the court as evidence in the case. On the other hand, investigators recovered a bullet of 7.65mm pistol from Tavella’s body and recovered three cartridges from the murder spot. Four accused who made confessional statements before magistrates said that they had used the pistol to kill the Italian national. However, the forensic report, prepared by the Criminal Investigation Department, has confirmed that they do not match. Supervising officer of the case Sheikh Nazmul Alam, a DMP deputy commissioner, told the Dhaka Tribune that they were looking for the weapon used in the murder. “We have recovered the motorcycle used in the operation,” he said. Tavella, working with a Netherlands-based NGO, was shot dead by a group of three assailants on Road 90 of Dhaka’s Gulshan diplomatic zone on September 28 last year. The murder took place just after several countries issued travel alerts for their citizens staying in Bangladesh alerting them about a possible terrorist attack. It was the first murder claimed by international terrorist group Islamic State in Bangladesh as a revenge to Italy’s joining the anti-IS coalition. So far, the group has took credit for 26 attacks including the one on a Gulshan cafe on July 1. But the investigators have found that a BNP leader planned the murder of Tavella as part of a conspiracy to create anarchy, embarrass the government and send a message to the foreigners that they are not safe in Bangladesh. The Detective Branch of police submitted charges against former BNP ward councillor MA Qaiyum, his brother MA Matin and five others on June 28 this year. The charge sheet was accepted by the court on July 17. Matin and four other accused – Tamjid Ahmed Rubel alias Shooter Rubel, Russell Chowdhury alias Chakki Russell, Minhajul Arefin alias Bhagne Russell and Shakhawat Hossain Sharif – are now in jail while another Sohel alias Bhangari Sohel and Qaiyum are absconding. Four detained accused have made confessional statements before magistrates. Although Matin admitted his involvement in the murder during the interrogation, he refused to give confessional statement before a court. Bhangari Sohel is accused of supplying the firearms. The court took the charges into cognisance on August 24 and issued arrest warrants against the two absconders.