Hundreds of people, wearing white aprons and holding banners and festoons, formed a human chain in front of the capital’s Holy Family Red Crescent Medical College Hospital yesterday, demanding justice for Dr Shamarukh Mahjabin Kona.
Teachers, students and staff from the hospital stood in line in front of the hospital for at least an hour. Speaking at the human chain, Shamarukh’s uncle, Kazi Firozur Rashid, alleged that the family members of former lawmaker Khan Tipu Sultan had killed her after mentally and psychically torturing her.
On Thursday, police recovered the body of Kona, wife of ex-MP Tipu Sultan’s son Humayun Sultan, from the Central Hospital at Dhanmondi in the capital. Later, Kona’s father filed a murder case with Dhanmondi police station accusing Humayun, Tipu and Tipu’s wife Jesmin Ara Begum, a doctor of the Holy Family Hospital.
At the human chain, citing an entry from Kona’s personal diary, Firoz alleged that Tipu had been demanding money from her. He killed her because he did not get the money, Kona’s uncle alleged.
Claiming that former lawmaker Tipu’s family took a large bribe during the wedding of Kona and Humayun, Firoz said the leader should be expelled from the Awami League for such an attitude.
After the human chain programme, a special prayer was offered seeking salvation for Kona’s departed soul.
Justice-seekers opened a page on Facebook titled “Justice for Dr Shamarukh Mahjabin.” The page had received 1,413 likes as of yesterday evening.
The members of the group, posting different pictures and statuses, demanded justice for what they said was the killing of Kona. A Dhaka court yesterday granted a three-day remand for Humayun in connection with the murder case.
Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Md Anwar Sadat passed the order yesterday after Sub-Inspector Shafiqul Islam, also the investigation officer, sought a 10-day remand for Humayun.
Humayun, son of the Jessore MP, was arrested on November 14 for his alleged involvement in the murder of his wife.
In another development, the High Court yesterday granted four weeks’ anticipatory bail to ex-MP Tipu and his wife.
The court of Justices AB Mahmudul Hossain and Md Akram Hossain Chowdhury granted the bail following a petition.
Advocate Fazlul Huq Khan Farid and Md Nurul Islam Shujon moved the bail petition for the Khans while deputy attorney general Md Boshir Ullah moved for the state.
Advocate Fazlul Huq Khan Farid told the Dhaka Tribune: “There is no specific allegation against Khan Tipu Sultan and Jesmin Ara Begum in the first information record [FIR] of the case. On the other hand, the two accused persons informed the plaintiff about the incident. Khan Tipu Sultan is also a member of the Supreme Court Bar Association. On these, grounds the court granted them bail.”
When contacted, Abu Bakkar Siddique, officer-in-charge of Dhanmondi police station, told the Dhaka Tribune: “We are interrogating the suspect, Humayun, about the incident but are yet to get any major breakthrough. But we are hopeful.
“Moreover, we are awaiting the autopsy report. Once we get that, we will be able to get a clear picture,” he said.
Asked about the progress of the autopsy report, Sohel Mahmud, assistant professor of the Forensic Department of Dhaka Medical College, said more time was needed because they were waiting for a test report from the haematology department.
