The Defence Ministry is yet to respond to the letter of police that asked for permission to arrest one of the three former officials of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB-11).
Earlier, the Defence Ministry on Thursday gave police the go-ahead to arrest two other ex-RAB officials for their alleged involvement in the much-talked-about seven murders in Narayanganj.
Police are still in the dark as to why the Defence Ministry did not mention anything about the arrest of the rest one former RAB-11 official.
The investigation officer of the seven-murder case in a letter sought cooperation of the Armed Force Division (AFD) in arresting three officials of the Bangladesh Army and the Navy.
The Defence Ministry on Thursday replied to police through Home Ministry that they could arrest only the two among the three former RAB 11 officials.
“The AFD as well as the Defence Ministry in their responses mentioned the two ex-army officials but nothing about the ex-official of the Bangladesh Navy,” said Khandaker Mahid Uddin, superintendent of police in Narayanganj.
The SP also said he was not aware of why the AFD did not mention anything about former Lt Commander MM Rana of the Bangladesh Navy and whether there would be any further move.
Asked, SP Mahid Uddin also declined to make any comment on the expected time of the arrest of those two ex-RAB -11 officials – former Commanding Officer of the RAB 11 Lt Col Tareq Sayeed Mohammad and Major Arif Hossain of the Bangladesh Army.
Meanwhile, State Minister for Home Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal yesterday claimed that the government was not idling away time rather it was trying to unwrap the mystery over the seven murders by unveiling the masks of the killers.
Talking to journalists in separate two functions at Segunbagicha and Mohakhali, the state minister said: “It has been a bit late but the government is pressing ahead legally.”
Narayanganj City Corporation panel mayor Nazrul Islam and lawyer Chandan Sarkar along with five others were killed and their bodies were dumped into River Shitalakkhya after they were abducted on April 27.
The family members of Nazrul alleged that RAB 11 Commanding Officer Lt Col Tareq Sayeed Mohammad and two other RAB 11 officials – Major Arif Hossain and Lt Commander SM Masud Rana – killed all the seven persons for Tk6 crore.
Earlier on April 28 the authorities concerned had withdrawn all the three RAB-11 officials along with the Narayanganj superintendent of police and the deputy commissioner.
Following the allegations, the AFD sent Lt Col Tareq Sayeed Mohammad and Major Rana on premature retirement from the Army and Lt Commander SM Masud Rana on forced retirement from the Navy.
Meanwhile, the High Court on May 11 directed the government to arrest those RAB officials asking the RAB not to interfere in the arrest or investigation.
