Investigators said the ambush attack on BNP chief Khaleda Zia’s Adviser Reaz Rahman was well-orchestrated in which at least six people took part to execute the plan.
The attackers were aware and keeping an eye on Reaz Rahman as soon as he left BNP chairperson’s Gulshan office.
Police after analysing CCTV footages of three separate buildings came to this conclusion.
A high official of Gulshan Division police in return for anonymity, said the private car of Reaz was not parked beside the Doreen Tower. It started from Gulshan-2 No Road and turned left into the lane behind the tower, says the official.
In the footage three motorbikes – one in front of the car and two others at the rear of it – followed Reaz from Gulshan-2.
The riders – all young and clad in jacket with hoods – were riding the motorbikes but their identities could not be retrieved as the pictures were not clear enough.
The investigators said they had some clues about the perpetrators from their movement around the lane but nothing could be said for sure as there was no CCTV camera to cover the spot.
The camera only covers the street view.
However, a witness, also security in-charge of Doreen Tower, Khokan Mia, said as the car entered the lane behind the Doreen tower one motorbike stopped it while two others at the rear started vandalising it keeping Reaz inside.
After the attack the attackers headed towards Kamal Attartuk Avenue down the Link Road. As they made their escape they fired three shots.
Investigators suspected that the attackers did not intend to kill Reaz. They wanted to frighten him as they could have easily shot him in the chest or head from close range.
Rafiqul Islam, officer-in-charge of Gulshan police station, said they were yet to identify the attackers but investigation was in progress.
“There are so many questions still unanswered and hope we will get the answers once we can talk to Reaz Rahman who is now under doctors’ close supervision.”
He said police contacted the family members including victim Reaz Rahman several times but they were not willing to file any case.
As they are not interested, the police lodged a case, said OC Rafiqul.
The case filed yesterday around 8pm says some eight to ten unidentified people attacked Reaz Rahman.
On Tuesday around 8:40pm, some unidentified miscreants attacked Reaz Rahman while he was coming back home after visiting BNP chief Khaleda Zia at her Gulshan office just beside the Doreen Tower.
Soon after the incident, the driver of Reaz Rahman had gone missing. OC Rafiqul of Gulshan police station, said: “We have asked about the whereabouts of the driver repeatedly but victim’s family would not hand him over to us for interrogation.”
Asked about it, Amena Rahman, daughter of Reaz Rahman, said: “Now our first priority is to take care of my father.” About the driver she said he was traumatised but he is in a safe place.
Meanwhile, Director of the United Hospital Dr Dabir Uddin Ahmed in a briefing said former state minister for foreign affairs Reaz, 74, was out of danger.
Reaz has two bullet wounds on his left waist and knee. One injury is about 1.5cm wide while the other is 2cm wide, he said.
As his soft and nerve tissue were affected Reaz can not move his left leg, says Dr Dabir. No metallic object was detected inside his body. In Medical science it is called “penetrating injury”.
Reaz Rahman is now undergoing treatment at the Intensive Care Unit of the United Hospital and a six-member medical board was formed to ensure his better treatment.
A team of Criminal Investigation Department (CID) visited the spot yesterday morning and collected evidences from the spot.
Iftekharul Islam, CID forensic unit inspector, told the Dhaka Tribune that they did not find any bullets from the spot. The car that was set afire has been kept at Shere-e-Bangla Nagar police station.
No one has so far been arrested or detained in connection with the attack on Reaz Rahman as of filing of this report yesterday night.
