The Detective Branch (DB) of police showed four people arrested in the Gopibagh six-murder case yesterday, who are already behind bars for the last one month.
The four - Sayed Ziaul Islam alias Zitu, 28, Al-Amin, 29, Azmir alias Amit, 27, and Golam Sarowar Rahan, 30 – were sent to jail in connection with three cases filed with Ramna police station. The cases were filed under the antiterrorism act, the arms act and the explosives act.
Investigating officer in the case Abu Al-Khayer Matubbor placed the four at the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate court seeking a 10-day remand for each. Metropolitan Magistrate Younus Khan placed them on four days’ remand.
Rakib Uddin, sub-inspector of court police, told the Dhaka Tribune that the investigating officer mentioned in the remand plea that eight people, after committing the murders, fled and the banned militant outfit Jamaat’ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) were involve in the incident.
“An analysis of the incident suggests that the four people committed the murders in collusion with their associates who escaped after the incident. This is why we need to quiz the four,” Rakib said, quoting the investigating officer.
On December 21, some assailants entered a house in the capital’s Gopibagh and slaughtered Lutfur Rahman Faruk, his son Sarowar Islam Faruk alias Monir, Faruk’s associate Manzur Alam Manzu, Faruk’s follower Md Shahin, Rasel and Muzibul.
Lutfur’s another son Abdullah Al-Faruk filed a case the following day with Wari police station accusing 10-12 unidentified people.
The plaintiff said his father was an Islamic scholar and had many followers who would often come to their house.
My father had conflicts with many because of religious issues and he survived two more attempts on his life in the past, he added in the statement.
Investigators at the outset said around 10-12 people got into the house, killed the six and left the spot soon. As no goods were missing from the house, police ruled out robbery and claimed it was done by extremists.
Abu Al-Khayer earlier told the Dhaka Tribune they interrogated nearly 50 people but obtained no clue from them. He said the involvement of some four people in the incident was suspected but it was hard for police to nab them as they changed their hideouts frequently.
Abu Al-Khayer yesterday told the Dhaka Tribune: “We got some clues about the four people’s involvement with the murders as well as JMB activities. That is why we took them on remand for interrogation.”
