Akram Killing: No progress in probe even after one year
Teknaf municipality ward councillor Akramul Haque was killed on this day a year ago, but police are yet to make any headway in the probe, much to the frustration of his family members.
His widow Ayesha Begum, sharing her anger at the pace of the investigation, told The Daily Star that after her husband’s death, she was promised that justice would be served soon. “But it hasn’t happened,” she said.
Akram was killed in a so-called gunfight with the Rab on May 26 last year during a nationwide anti-narcotics drive. Later, Rab claimed that Akram was a top-listed drug dealer.
But family members, relatives and locals who had known him for years vehemently rejected the Rab claim. They said Akram, who was the Teknaf Jubo League president for 13 years, was a prominent voice against narcotics trade in the area.
During a press conference at Cox’s Bazar Press Club on May 31 that year, Ayesha alleged that her husband was murdered in cold blood. She also gave journalists four audio clips in support of her claim.
In one of the clips, a female voice is heard continuously screaming over the phone hearing gunshots. Ayesha claimed that the female voice was hers and the gunshots were fired at her husband and that she was trying to talk to him on his mobile phone on the fateful night.
The clips went viral on social media, creating an outrage across the country.
Later, a case was filed with Teknaf Police Station over the matter.
Talking to this correspondent recently, Ayesha said Akram was carrying three mobile phones that day and only one phone was shown in the police seizure list. “They are yet to return the two other mobile phones and the motorcycle of my husband.”
The seizure list doesn’t mention the bike either, she said.
Ayesha also alleged that two months after the incident, a man went to her house and asked her to give him her mobile phone. “He was at my home for seven hours from 4:00pm that day, but I didn’t give him my phone.“
She then said the man also threatened her and that her family was passing days in fear since then.
Ayesha also said after Akram was killed, a minister talked to her over phone and assured her of a neutral investigation into the matter. The chairman of the National Human Rights Commission also visited her house and promised her daughters -- Tahiyat and Nahiyan -- of investigation and action, she said.
“But the words were not kept,” she said.
Ayesha said her daughters, students of class-IX and class-VII at Teknaf BGB Public School respectively, still hold onto the memories of their father. “They often write or draw about their father in their diaries. Tahiyat always wears a watch given by him,” she said.
Ayesha then took a brief pause and said, “I just want to know what was my husband’s fault. I want to know why he had to die this way.
“I don’t want any financial help or other assistance. I, as a citizen of this country, just want that she [the prime minister] would take steps to ensure justice,” she said.
Contacted, Pradip Kumar Das, officer-in-charge of Teknaf Police Station, told The Daily Star yesterday that the probe was underway. He did not say anything further for the sake of the investigation.
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