Feni Jubo League man held, Minar remanded
Feni police have so far arrested 21 people in connection with the gruesome murder of Phulgazi upazila chairman Ekramul Haque, but a number of key suspects are still at large.
Among those arrested are local BNP leader Mahtab Uddin Chowdhury Minar, the lone named accused in the case, and two other top suspects -- Awami League leader Jihad Chowdhury and Abidul Islam Abid.
Latest, cops yesterday detained Jubo League activist Ziaul Haque Bappi at Daganbhuiyan upazila for his alleged link in the killing.
However, law enforcers have yet to arrest “Ruti” Sohel and Bakkar, who, according to Abid, were present at the meeting where Jihad, also known as Jahid, masterminded the killing.
Sohel and Bakkar are known as notorious criminals in Feni town.
Mahbub Morshed, officer-in-charge of Feni Model Police Station, said they were working hard and the duo would be arrested soon.
Sources familiar with the investigation said police were also looking for Jahangir Adel, a joint general secretary of Feni district AL.
Police already searched his house and other probable hideouts but could not find him.
Once he is nabbed, many important information about the killing will come out, said a police source.
Ekram, who was also president of Phulgazi upazila AL, was shot and burned alive in his car in broad daylight on May 20.
In his deposition, Abid said that at a meeting attended by Jihad, Sohel, Bakkar and himself, among others, on the evening of May 19, they decided to publicly humiliate Ekram.
Later that night, several of them held another meeting where they planned to kill Ekram.
He also told a Feni court that Jihad got Tk 1 lakh from Minar for the murder.
Earlier, Abid told Rab that he shot Ekram from close range with a 7.62mm pistol provided by Jihad Chowdhury.
Jihad is a close aide of Feni-2 AL lawmaker Nizam Hazari, who is being widely blamed for the gruesome murder.
Minar, convener of Feni unit Jatiyatabadi Tanti Dal, has meanwhile been placed on a seven-day remand by a Feni court.
Investigators yesterday produced him before the Court of Senior Judicial Magistrate Khairul Amin in the afternoon seeking 10 days' remand, reports our Feni correspondent.
Fifteen defence lawyers appealed to the court not to place their client on remand. They requested the court to ask the police to quiz him at the jail gate as Minar was "ill".
The court refused the plea and directed the investigators to interrogate him tactically, said sources.
Minar was arrested by detectives in cantonment area in the capital on Tuesday.
Ekram's brother Rezaul Haque filed the case with Feni Model Police Station against Minar and 34 unnamed people.
The court also put Abdur Rouf, general secretary of Kazirbagh union AL under Sadar upazila, on a five-day remand and Jubo League activist Sajib, who was arrested by Rab on Monday with a pistol allegedly used in the killing, on two days' remand.
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