2 ex-Rab men now accused of 7-murder

Following days of dillydallying in arresting ex-Rab officers Lt Col (retd) Tareque Sayeed Mohammad and Major (retd) Arif Hossain, the law enforcers finally accused the duo of involvement in the Narayanganj septuple murder case yesterday, five days after their arrest.
Yesterday was the last day for the investigation officer of the case to respond to a court order asking him as to why the two suspects had not been arrested in connection with the murder case.
They were arrested at Dhaka Cantonment on May 17 under the Section-54 of the CrPC, not in the murder case.
On April 27, Narayanganj panel mayor Nazrul Islam and his three aides -- Tajul, Liton, and Swapan -- and Nazrul's driver Jahangir and senior lawyer Chandan Sarker and his driver Ibrahim were kidnapped separately. Later, their bodies were found floating in the Shitalakkhya.
The two former Rab officers were sent on forced retirements for their alleged involvement in the abduction and killing of the seven people.
Yesterday, they were placed on an eight-day fresh remand each by a Narayanganj court for interrogation on completion of their five day remand.
Local lawyers yesterday assaulted their lawyer who had travelled to Narayanganj from Dhaka to defend them.
In court, suspect Tareque called for proper investigation and patience from all. He said preventing them from getting legal services would hurt them and obstruct justice from being delivered.
Meanwhile, police headquarters will seek the help of Interpol to arrest the prime suspect in the murder case, Nur Hossain, who is reportedly hiding in India.
“We are going to ask for help soon,” Assistant Inspector General Mahbubur Rahman Bhuiyan told The Daily Star, adding that Narayanganj police had requested them to get Interpol involved.
Interpol had issued a red alert for the arrest of Nur Hossain during the caretaker regime in 2007. Ward councillor and Siddhirganj Awami League leader Nur was on the run and wanted in more than a dozen cases, including murder cases.
Nur became a notorious criminal in Siddhirganj with the alleged blessing of Narayanganj Awami League leader Shamim Osman. He returned to Siddhirganj after the Awami League assumed power in 2009.
The Interpol red alert for his arrest was withdrawn following a request from Bangladesh police. Sources in the police department say that the request to Interpol to withdraw the alert was made following instructions from an influential Awami League leader.
Nur in 2011 was elected ward councillor of Narayanganj City Corporation.
Police on May 18 arrested another suspect, ex-Rab officer Lt Commander (retd) SM Masud Rana, at Dhaka Cantonment under Section 54. He too is being kept at the Narayanganj police lines as Tareque and Arif are and is being interrogated on a seven-day remand.
The three Rab officers were arrested following a High Court order.
Shahidul Islam, father-in-law of Nazrul Islam, had alleged that some officials of Rab-11 killed Nazrul in exchange for Tk 6 crore from Nur Hossain and his accomplices.
In his reaction to their arrest and their being placed on remand, Shahid said placing the ex-Rab officials on remand was not enough and that the trio should be treated like others accused of murder.
The police have not been able to arrest any of the six accused in the murder case.
Even though the home ministry and police claim that they had arrested Hasmat Ali Hashu in connection with the murder a week ago, he was yet to be produced before a court.
An arrested person is supposed to be produced before a court within 24 hours.