Within just 28 hours of the murder of journalist Asaduzzaman Tuhin in Gazipur, law enforcement agencies have arrested seven individuals, including the prime suspect and his wife on Friday night.
The matter was confirmed by Taherul Haque Chowhan, additional commissioner (Crime) of Gazipur Metropolitan Police (GMP).
The arrests took place in various areas of the capital’s Turag and Gazipur metropolitan region Mymensingh’s Gafargaon.
Those arrested are: Mizan alias Ketu Mizan, the prime suspect and son of Mobarak from Mahmudpur village, Melandah upazila, Jamalpur; his wife Golapi; Shadhin; Al Amin; Faisal Hasan, 23, son of Qiamuddin Hasan from Panchbaria village, Chatmohar upazila, Pabna; and Shah Jalal, 32, son of Hanif Bhuiyan from Kashipur (Anantapur) village, Homna upazila, Cumilla.
Among them, Mizan alias Ketu Mizan had been living in a rented apartment at Manju Mia’s house in the Chandna Chowrasta area under Basan police station in Gazipur.
Police said the arrestees are active members of a snatching gang and were identified through CCTV footage.
According to police, the woman seen at the beginning of the incident in the video — the one at the centre of the altercation — is Golapi, wife of the prime suspect.
The man seen in the footage with a beard and wearing a cap, running with a machete, is Mizan alias Ketu Mizan.
The individual in a white shirt and jeans, standing with a machete, is Shadhin. The other suspect is named Al Amin.
Additional Commissioner (crime) Taherul Haque Chowhan of Gazipur Metropolitan Police (GMP) said that right after the killing of journalist Asaduzzaman, police collected CCTV footage from a nearby business.
From that footage, the people involved in the attack were identified. Multiple police teams then launched operations in different areas to apprehend them.
At around 10pm on Friday night, GMP’s Detective Branch (south) arrested prime suspect Mizan alias Ketu Mizan and his wife Golapi from Bhabanipur in Gazipur Sadar upazila.
Al Amin was arrested by Basan police from Turag in the capital at around 11:30pm, while Shadhin was arrested by RAB from Gazipur city.
Shahin Khan, Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Basan police station, said a case has been filed at the station over the killing of journalist Asaduzzaman Tuhin.
The case was lodged by Tuhin’s elder brother Selim. All the arrestees are reportedly active members of a mugging gang.
They were apprehended in overnight raids following the incident and are involved in various local crimes, including snatching.
It should be noted that on Thursday at 6:58pm, in front of the Mosque Market at Chandna Chowrasta in Gazipur city, Tuhin was hacked to death in broad daylight.
Asaduzzaman Tuhin was the son of Hasan Jamal from Vhatipara village, Fulbaria upazila, Mymensingh.
He worked as a staff reporter for the daily Protidiner Kagoj in Gazipur. Tuhin lived in the Paler Maath area of Gazipur city with his family.
He is survived by two sons — Taufiq Hossain Taki, 5, and Abdullah Al Fahim, 3. Alongside journalism, he was also a dealer for a Unani medicine company in Gazipur.
On Friday morning, Tuhin’s elder brother Selim filed a case at the Basan police station against unidentified persons in connection with the murder.
The killing has cast a shadow of grief and anger among journalists, professionals, and the general public, with widespread calls for swift justice and the immediate arrest of the killers.
