Nur Hossain’s cohort held

Members of police arrested a close associate of Nur Hossain, the key accused in Narayanganj seven-murder case, from Mijmiji area under Siddhirganj police station of Narayanganj Sunday morning. The arrestee was Anowar Hossain Ashik, 40, ex-secretary of Siddhirganj Jatyatabadi Sramik Dal and known as cadre of Nur Hossain. Omar Faruque, sub-inspector of Siddhirganj police station, said: “A team of police conducted a raid in the area and arrested Ashik from his house around 11am.” Anowar was wanted in 20 cases filed with Siddhirganj police station in connection with vandalism and subversive activities, said police. The SI also said: “Anowar was excluded from the sensational seven-murder case’s charge sheet earlier.” Earlier, on April 27, 2014, Nazrul Islam, his three associates and driver were abducted from Fatullah area in the city. At the same time, senior lawyer of the Narayanganj District Judge’s Court Chandan Kumar Sarker and his driver were abducted on their way to Dhaka. Three days into their abduction, the bodies of six people, including that of Nazrul and Chandan, were recovered from the Shitalakkhya and Dhaleshwari rivers on April 30. The body of Nazrul’s driver Jahangir was recovered from the Shitalakkhya River on May 1. Two cases were filed in connection with the murders. Nazrul’s wife Selina Islam Beauty filed a case against six people, including former councillor Nur Hossain, while Chandan’s son-in-law Bijoy Kumar Paul filed the other case against some unknown people. Later, Shahidul Islam, Nazrul’s father-in-law, claimed that RAB officials had killed Nazrul and others in exchange for Tk6 crore from Nur Hossain, the prime accused in the murder case, and other accomplices. The three former RAB officials were sent on forced retirement for their alleged involvement in the incident. They are now in jail. Lt Col Tareq is the son-in-law of Disaster Management and Relief Minister Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya. On June 14, West Bengal police arrested Nur Hossain and his aides from an apartment in Kolkata for illegal entry and possession of arms. The government has been working to bring back Nur to Bangladesh. Several investigation committees were formed to look into the sensational murders. On June 4 last year, the High Court directed RAB, the government’s seven-member probe committee, the inspector general of police and the CID to submit progress reports on their investigations. The probe body formed by RAB found 27 of its members including three top officials of RAB 11 unit involved in the incident.