Babul, Mitu were not on good terms

Detectives yesterday talked to the family of Mahmuda Khanam Mitu, slain wife of former SP Babul Akther, in Dhaka in connection with her murder in June last year.

After the four-hour questioning of the family members, the investigation officer, Mohammed Kamruzzaman of the Detective Branch of Chittagong Metropolitan Police, said there was no significant progress in the murder probe. 

The additional deputy commissioner travelled to the city to talk to Mitu's family as part of the investigation.

This was the first time investigators went to Mitu's parent's house to talk to the family members, said Mitu's father Mosharraf Hossain.

Mitu's father, mother and younger sister Shaila Mosharraf spoke about the relationship between Babul and Mitu before the investigators. 

Shaila at the time said the couple were not on good terms, Mosharraf told The Daily Star over the phone. 

The family told the IO that they heard about multiple affairs Babul had whilst Mitu was alive. There were even talks of Babul taking a second wife, the family told Kamruzzaman.

Asked if he would interrogate Babul, who is now working at a private hospital in the capital, or anyone else this time, the ADC replied in the negative.  

Meanwhile, Deputy Commissioner of DB Paritosh Ghosh yesterday afternoon said the arrest of the former superintendent of police that has spread since Saturday night is nothing but a rumour.

Earlier on February 9, IO Kamruzzaman said police had already quizzed 50 people but made no breakthrough in the probe into the murder that took place in broad daylight on June 5, 2016 near the GEC intersection in Chittagong city.

Mitu was hacked and shot dead by three killers who went to the place on a motorbike.

Police claimed to have arrested Motaleb Mia Wasim and Md Anwar in the case on June 25 last year.

The two in confessional statements before a Chittagong court named five people --Musa, Nabi, Rashed, Kalu and Shahjahan -- who took part in the killing along with them.

Of them, Nabi and Rashed were killed in a “gunfight” with police on July 5, 2016. Shahjahan, Wasim and Anwar are in jail.

Musa's family has repeatedly alleged that law enforcers picked him up on June 22 last year, but police said they have been searching for Musa and Kalu.