Tonu’s parents: Two army men involved

The parents of Sohagi Jahan Tonu claimed their daughter’s killing was well-planned and blamed it on army Sergeant Jahid, his wife and soldier Jahid.

The army men are deployed at Comilla cantonment.

Tonu’s father Md Yaar Hossain and mother Anowara Begum made the claims before the media Wednesday evening when they were going to the district’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID) office for interrogation. It is the seventh time the couple has been questioned.

Tonu, a second-year history student of Comilla Victoria Government College and cultural activist, was found murdered near her residence inside the Comilla cantonment on March 20.

Yaar Hossain, an official of the Comilla Cantonment Board, and his wife asserted that the mystery surrounding their daughter’s death would be solved once Sergeant Jahid and soldier Jahid were questioned.

“We are tired of being interrogated time and again. Investigators have not questioned anyone from the family in which Tonu tutored a student. Even questioning kids from that family can yield important information,” they said.

Monowara said her daughter was requested to sing at a programme of the army’s study unit but she went on a tour of Sylhet instead. Later, a troupe was hired to perform at the programme. “I suspect Tonu’s murder was a fallout of the incident,” she said.

She said her daughter was severely beaten before being killed. “She was murdered out of vengeance for not performing at the programme. She had long hair. The killers cut it off.”

The first post-mortem examination found no evidence that Tonu was raped before being killed and also failed to determine the cause of her death. Her body was exhumed on March 30 on a court order and a second post-mortem examination was performed.

CID officials probing the murder said they were waiting for the autopsy report.

Monowara also questioned the delay in publishing report of the second autopsy. “All information regarding the killing will be found if Sergeant Jahid, his wife and soldier Jahid are interrogated. No one other than army men can carry out such murders in the secure area like cantonment,” she added.

CID interrogated nine persons, including four from Tonu’s family, on Tuesday. Her parents have sought the prime minister’s intervention to arrest and punish the killers.

Source: Dhaka Tribune