Business-related feud prompted political associates to plot the murder attempt on Awami League leader Enamul Haq Shamim, RAB claims.
Addressing a press conference yesterday, RAB officials said leaders from several associate bodies of Awami League wanted Shamim – a member of the central committee of the Awami League – dead, while the mastermind behind the scheme was one of Shamim’s business partner. However, RAB did not disclose details on the plotters as investigation was still going on.
Members of the elite force also produced four arrested men – Monir Hossain, Md Harun, Mehedi Hasan and Nazrul Islam Jewel – in front of the media at the RAB headquarters. RAB said Monir and Jewel were involved with the planning of the attack, while the others worked as hired guns; all of them were arrested from different parts of the country.
Shamim, also a former president of Bangladesh Chhatra League, survived a drive-by shooting on June 19 at Dhanmondi, suffering two gunshot wounds on his hand.
RAB Spokesperson Wing Commander ATM Habibur Rahman said: “We arrested Monir from Rajbari’s Pangsha. According to information extracted from him, we then nabbed Harun from Munshiganj, and Mehedi and Nazrul from Tejturibazar slum in the capital early today [Tuesday] and yesterday [Monday].”
He said Monir is an associate of Karwan Bazar’s notorious criminal Ashique and also an accused in the Faruk murder case. On the other hand, Mehedi is the prime accused in the murder of Rafique at Tejkunipara in 2006.
“We are not telling the name of the mastermind for the sake of investigation. The person is a business partner of Shamim,” Habibur told reporters at the beginning of the briefing. However, after he started narrating RAB’s findings, he mentioned “Jasim” as a planner.
“Jasim prepared to spend Tk1 lakh to kill Shamim. He assigned Monir to make arrangements. Monir asked Jewel to hire shooters and select the place of attack.”
The criminals rented motorcycle and two pistols from Tejgaon’s arms dealer Sayeed, as well as hiring “professional killers” Harun and Mehedi to murder Shamim, the founder and president of Board of Trustees at Stamford University and vice-chairman of Port City International University in Chittagong.
On June 17, the shooters made their first attempt to kill Shamim in front of Stamford University’s Siddeshwari campus; but they were unsuccessful as the gun did not fire. Shamim did not realise at the time that he had been targeted.
Speaking in front of reporters, Mehedi admitted carrying out the attack on June 19, saying he and Harun had shot Shamim with Rana driving the motorbike.
“Rana told me that someone has suspended his big brother Jasim from Stamford University. For this they will need to shoot a teacher; not to kill, but to intimidate him. So, Rana bhai, Harun bhai and I went to Dhanmondi on June 19.
“Someone called Rana bhai on phone and said a car was coming. So, we also moved forward...I shot thrice from the left side of Shamim’s car. Harun bhai shot once, but his pistol got stuck and was not working,” Mehedi said.
“We were supposed to get Tk20,000 each. I got Tk5,000 and Harun bhai received Tk9,000 through bKash after some days. Jewel returned the arms to Sayeed after a day,” he added.
Both Mehedi and Harun claimed that Rana is a leader of the BCL’s Tejgaon thana ward number 48 unit. Jewel is also involved with the BCL and Sayeed with Swechchhasebak League, they added.
