‘It was around 2pm. My brother was in the toilet and my husband was taking rest. At that time 10-12 men stormed into the house and arrested my husband first and then my brother,’ said Rupali. As she began to shout, one of them said: ‘If you shout again we will shoot you’
Law enforcers are projecting the arrest of two “accomplices” of Nur Hossain as their greatest achievement, terming it a major progress in netting the mastermind of the seven murders.
However, family members of the arrestees and a number of locals yesterday told the Dhaka Tribune that one of the two were just a petty fish trader and the other a jobless youth.
Investigators, who have failed to arrest the main accused and five of his accomplices, said they would be able to glean important information from the arrestees – Mohibullah, 35, and his brother-in-law Ferdous Quraishi Samrat, 20.
The two were not accused in the case filed by Nazrul’s wife Selina Islam. Since the bodies of ward councillor Nazrul Islam, lawyer Chandan Sarkar and five others were recovered from the Shitalakkhya River, the law enforcing agency has been claiming that they had made substantial progress in the investigation.
Khandakar Muhid Uddin, superintendent of police of Narayanganj, said: “We think the arrest of the two is a big success in our investigation.”
Yesterday this reporter met the family members of the arrestees. Both of their houses are located at Hirajheel near the Chittagong Road in Narayanganj.
Ferdous Quraishi Samrat’s father Siraj Miah is the owner of Siraj Furniture, a renowned furniture shop in that area. Yesterday morning when this reporter went to the shop, the family members and locals gathered there.
Peyara Begum Ranu, elder sister of Samrat, said: “My brother left Narayanganj for Noakhali along with my mother and two cousins on the night of April 20 as my maternal uncle was severely ill. He died on April 21.”
Five days later after finishing all the formalities of the funeral, Samrat went to their village home at Uttar Lautola of Begumganj upazila in the same district.
They stayed there for harvesting. “He does not know anything about the murders [of the seven] as he was in Noakhali,” Ranu added.
Samrat’s father said his son used to look after his shop as he was getting older. “He is my youngest son. He passed most of his time with his sister’s family.
“I am quite sure he was not involved in the seven murders.”
Rupali Akter, wife of Mohibullah and elder sister of Samrat, arrived at the shop along with her two children in the midst of the conversation.
They were also in Noakhali along with Mohibullah and Samrat. They were back in Narayanganj soon after the arrests, said Siraj.
“It was around 2pm. My brother was in the toilet and my husband was taking rest. At that time 10-12 men stormed into the house and arrested my husband first and then my brother,” said Rupali.
As she began to shout at the intruders and protested, asking them why they were arresting her brother and husband, one of them said: “If you shout again we will shoot you.”
Mohammod Ali, father of Mohibullah, said his son was involved in a multipurpose business and one year back after it was closed he started working at the fish depot of ward Councillor Nur Hossain, he told this correspondent on the Narayanganj Judge Court premises.
Both Rupali and Mohammod Ali said Mohibullah had led a disciplined life always returning home by 10pm.
Surprisingly, no one at Nur Hossain’s fish depot recognised Mohibullah. Billal, Shibu and many others said they did not know him. Arif Ahmed, younger brother of Mohibullah said: “Everyone is scared of police.”
A local preferring not to be named said he had known Samrat as a gentle youth. “I do not think he could be involved in any crime. I think people will see the repetition of a Joj Miah story.”
Shobuj Miah, a local businessman said: “I know Mohibullah personally. I have never heard about his involvement with Nur Hossain.
However, Narayanganj SP Khandakar Muhid Uddin said Mohibullah was a truck driver and he was involved in Nur Hossain’s drug business. “What their family is saying is not true,” he said.
But Mohammod Ali, Arif Ahmed and Rupali Akter confirmed that Mohibullah had never been a driver.
Source: Dhaka Tribune