No accused arrested yet

Family members of a schoolboy, who was beaten to death in Gafargaon upazila over two weeks ago, expressed their deep concern as no accused has been arrested yet.

The victim, Lutfur Rahman Riad, 14, of Uthori village was a ninth grader at Ghagra Uthori Chhipan High School in the upazila and son of Saidur Rahman Shaheen, a Saudi expatriate.

Gafargaon Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Abdul Ahad Khan told this correspondent that separate police teams have been conducting drives in and outside the district to arrest the killers.

Different branches of police are also working in this regard, the OC said. 

The OC also said he and Gafargaon Upazila Nirbahi Officer Dr Shamim Rahman visited the victim's family members and neighbours yesterday and assured them that the killers will be arrested soon.

Meanwhile, the case was transferred to the Detective Branch of police yesterday, the OC said..

Riad was beaten to death by a mob over suspicion of theft at local Ghagra Uthori Tower Bazar on the morning of August 30.

The attackers claimed that the boy was caught while trying to break into a grocery store at the bazar adjacent to his home. Due to the merciless beating, the boy died on the spot. 

Victim's uncle Abdur Razzaq lodged a case with the police station against nine named and six unnamed people on the day of the murder. 

Poultry trader Abdur Rashid of the bazar, the prime suspect in the case, is ward level secretary of Awami League's committee at Gafargaon union.

Victim's elder sister Neelful Nahar Shanta, a second year Higher Secondary Certificate student, said the boy was brutally beaten to death in broad daylight, but the accused are yet to be arrested.

Shanta also demanded immediate arrest of the killers.