N’ganj murders: Ex-Rab officer Rana put on 7-day remand

Councillor Nila released after detention; another case filed against Nur

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A court here on Sunday placed former Rab officer Lt Commander MM Rana on a seven-day remand in connection with the killing of seven people, including Narayanganj City Corporation panel mayor Nazrul Islam.

 

Judicial Magistrate KM Mahiuddin passed the order when Detective Branch of Police Inspector Mamunur Rashid Mondal produced him before his court seeking a 10-day remand.

 

Besides, the same court placed killer suspect Mahibulla Ratan on a four-day remand when police produced him before the court, seeking seven days’ remand for him.

 

Meanwhile, lawyers and the relatives of people who went missing and were abducted in different times threw shoes at Rana when he was being taken from the court.

 

Earlier, police arrested the former officer of Rapid Action Battalion-11 from Dhaka Cantonment area early Sunday in connection with the much-talked-about seven murders.

 

Rana was arrested a day after the Narayanganj district police arrested two other wanted ex-Rab officers –  Lt Col Tareque Sayeed Mohammad and Major Arif Hossain of Bangladesh Army ––from the same area early Saturday.

 

Meanwhile, hours after the detention, plain-clothes police released Narayanganj City Corporation female councillor Jannatul Ferdous Nila.

 

Sources at the district police said a team of Detective Branch of police picked up Nila, also a close aide of Nur Hossain, the prime accused in the seven-murder case, from in front of the Fire Service Station at Hajiganj around 6pm, said sources at the district police.

 

Local sources said while Nila was returning to Siddhirganj by a microbus from the Circuit House after taking part in a mass hearing, the detectives detained her for interrogation.

 

Later, she was released after interrogation, said the sources.

 

In another development, a case was filed against Nur Hossain under the Wildlife Conservation Act in connection with the recovery of birds from his house during a police raid.

 

Gazipur Forest Division ranger officer M Fazlul Haque lodged the case against the city councillor.

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With the latest case, the number of cases filed against Nur stood at 3.

 

Besides, the seven-member probe committee recorded the statements of the civil society members of Narayanganj at the Circuit House on Sunday after as part of public hearing on the sensational seven murders.

 

Lt Commander Rana from Bangladesh Navy and Lt Col Tareque Sayeed Mohammad and Major Arif Hossain from Bangladesh Army were sent on forced retirement following the allegation of their involvement in the abduction and killing of the seven people.

 

Police already took Tareque Sayeed and Arif Hossain on a five-day remand for interrogation in connection with the gruesome murders.

 

Earlier, the High Court, following a writ petition, issued a rule asking the Inspector General of Police (IGP) for taking immediate steps to arrest the trio dismissed Rab officials.

 

In compliance with another HC order, a seven-member probe body was formed by the Public Administration Ministry, headed by its additional secretary Md Shahjahan Ali Mollah. The committee is now investigating the incident holding public hearings.

 

The Narayanganj incident has caused a serious embarrassment to the ruling Awami League as Tareque Sayeed is the son-in-law of Disaster Management and Relief Minister Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya.  Besides, some media reported that Maya’s son Dipu Chowdhury brokered the deal between suspected Rab members and the masterminds of the tragedy.

 

An amount of Tk 6 crore was said to have been transacted to carry out the abduction and subsequent murders.

 

On April 27, Narayanganj panel mayor Nazrul Islam and his three associates and driver were abducted from Fatullah area in Narayanganj city. Hours into their abduction, senior lawyer of the Narayanganj District Judge’s Court, Chandan Kumar Sarker, and his driver were abducted while they were going to capital Dhaka.

 

Three days into their abduction, the bodies of six people, including that of Nazrul and Chandan, were recovered from the Shitalakhya and Dhaleshwari rivers on April 30.   Besides, the body of Jahangir, the car driver of Nazrul Islam, was recovered from the Shitalakhya River on May 1.

Source: UNBConnect