RAB says Rajshahi University teacher Prof AKM Shafiul Islam was murdered ‘in revenge for his misbehaviour with a university employee’.
The elite police unit further says the six people it arrested have been involved with the killing.
RAB arrested them, including two pro-BNP activists, during overnight raids on Saturday and Sunday at different parts of Dhaka and Rajshahi over the murder.
They are former RU unit Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal Vice-President Abdus Samad Pintu, 34, Katakhali municipality Jatiyatabadi Juba Dal leader Ariful Islam Manik, 33, electric tri-wheeler driver Ibrahim Khalil aka Tokai Babu, 21, grocer Sirajul Islam aka Kalu, 22, Al-Mamun, 31, and Md Sabuj Sheikh, 18.
RAB spokesperson Mufti Mahmud Khan informed journalists of the motives and details of the murder at a press conference at the force’s headquarters at Dhaka’s Uttara on Sunday.
According to RAB, two others — Jubo Dal district unit convener Anwar Hossain Ujjal and fish trader Jamai Babu — were also involved in the planning.
RAB said Ujjal and Pintu masterminded the murder while Manik led the attack.
According to the force, the perpetrators murdered the teacher for misbehaving with the university’s accounts section officer ‘Nasrin’, wife of Pintu.
“The arrestees admitted that they killed Prof Islam to avenge his discourteous behaviour with Pintu’s wife,” Khan said.
He said Pintu and Ujjal went to the professor to protest against his behaviour but were humiliated.
Then the two planned the murder.
RAB said Pintu followed Prof Islam when he got out of the campus on Nov 15 and informed Manik of his position over phone.
The teacher came under attack near his house, around 200 metres off the Dhaka-Savar highway.
Manik told reporters: “There was a plan to attack Shafiul in the lower part of his body. All were asked to bring knives for that. But after arriving at the spot, I saw some brought with them large choppers.”
“Sabuj hit him in the head all on a sudden. Sir fell down in one blow. He was then chopped at different parts of the body and all were asked to leave the place separately.”
Police and his son had earlier claimed militants were behind the murder of Islam, known for his devotion to the way of Baul Lalon Shah.
A self-proclaimed militant organisation ‘Ansar al Islam Bangladesh-2’ claimed responsibility for the murder on a Facebook post hours later.
But Khan said RAB did not find any militant link with the murder.
The elite police unit said they also did not find evidence of any involvement of a female student found locked inside Islam’s house after the murder.
Motihar Police Station OC Alamgir Hossain earlier said Manik was a notorious goon at Katakhali. He allegedly controlled illegal trades in the area.
Source: bdnews24
