Still a mystery

It has been more than 60 days since the body of ninth-grader Tasfia Amin was recovered from the concrete blocks on the bank of Karnaphuli River on May 2, but investigators are yet to make any breakthrough over the mysterious death.

As Chittagong Metropolitan Police (CMP)'s Bandar Zone failed to make any significant headway over the incident, the case was handed over to Detective Branch (DB) of CMP on June 28, following an order of CMP commissioner Mahbubur Rahman.

Sub-Inspector (SI) Anwar Hossain of Patenga Police Station, who was the initial Investigation Officer (IO) of the case, told The Daily Star: “Now the case is being investigated by DB police, to whom I have handed over all documents and findings.”

Deputy Commissioner (DC) (DB) of Port Zone Md Shahidullah told The Daily Star: “We have just received the case docket of Tasfia on July 2, and DB police has already started investigation.”

Alongside police, the Police Investigation of Bureau (PBI) has been conducting shadow investigation in the case.

After the body was recovered, Tasfia's father filed a murder case with Patenga Police Station accusing six persons, including a friend of Tasifa's who she was last seen with. Police have arrested two people in connection with the incident.

Another accused of the case, Md Firoj surrendered before a court in connection with the case last Tuesday, following which the court sent him to jail.

Investigators said she was not poisoned or sexually assaulted, based on reports. However, they are still waiting for the full post-mortem report to find out the cause behind the death of Tasfia.

Talking to The Daily Star, Assistant Commissioner (AC) (Karnaphuli Zone) Jahedul Islam said: “Police have received two reports -- chemical analysis and vaginal swab -- from the Forensic Lab of Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in the last month, where there are no negative reports.”

“The chemical analysis report said she was not poisoned and no alcohol was found in her body, and there was no sign of sexual assault before death, according to the vaginal swab report,” said the AC.

AC Jahed said the reports were sent to the doctors of Chittagong Medical College Hospital (CMCH) who performed the autopsy of Tasfia, and they will prepare the autopsy report analysing viscera reports and other reports, and reveal the cause behind the death.

“The autopsy report was scheduled to be prepared by last week, but there is no progress,” SI Anwar, who was the IO of the case until it was handed over to the DB, told The Daily Star.

Tasfia, a ninth grader of Sunshine Grammar School and College in Chittagong, went missing after she left home to meet a friend on May 1 in city's GEC area.

Her dead body was found in Patenga area the next day. Scrutinising the CCTV footage of a restaurant where Tasfia met her friend, it was found that she boarded a CNG-run auto-rickshaw for her residence, but never reached her destination.

Police have also failed so far to identify the CNG driver who carried Tasfia. The question, how the girl ended up at Patenga from GEC after boarding on CNG, remains unanswered.

AC Jahed said “Police had sent several CCTV footages to experts in China for finding out its number, but it could not be achieved because of street lighting.”

Claiming the incident as murder, Mohammed Amin, father of Tasfia, demanded investigation into whether any third party was involved with the incident.

Police have already questioned the friend concerned twice, but found nothing significant.