Attack on Uno: Suspect Rabiul confesses before magistrate

Rabiul Islam finally gave a confessional statement before a court yesterday, admitting that he was involved with the brutal hammer attack on Wahida Khanam, upazila nirbahi officer of Dinajpur's Ghoraghat Upazila, on September 3rd.

Rabiul, a former staffer of the Ghoraghat UNO office, was brought inside the court complex on a pickup van of the district's Detective Branch of police (DB) and produced before court around 10:00am yesterday, after the end of his 9-day remand.

The Senior Judicial Magistrate's court of Ismail Hossain recorded the confessional statement, said Imam Zafar, the investigation officer (IO) and officer-in-charge of Dinajpur DB.

Rabiul confessed to his crime under section 164 before the court, said the IO after emerging from the court building around 3:30pm.

He, however, refused to answer any further questions.

Later, the DB then dropped Rabiul back at Dinajpur jail.

On September 12, Rabiul was taken on a 6-day remand after Debdas Bhattyachariya, the DIG of Rangpur Range police, told journalists that Rabiul confessed to authorities concerned about his involvement in the attack.

As his 6-day remand ended on September 17, the DB produced him before court to record his statement, but he did not give his statement during his 7-hour long stay at court.

He was then taken into a 3-day remand, which ended yesterday.

Rahidul Islam, eldest brother of Rabiul, who was present at court yesterday, said "It seemed my brother was tortured in remand. I noticed Rabiul was walking abnormally."

Sources said Rabiul carried out the hammer attack on the UNO out of anger from his joblessness.

However, higher authorities concerned have refused to talk about the issue.

Rab had earlier arrested three people after examining the CCTV footage from September 3rd attack and claimed that Asadul Haq, a district Jubo League leader, Nabirul Islam and Santu Biwas were also involved with the attack and had confessed.

After the claim, the case was given to Dinajpur DB, whose investigation revolved only around Rabiul.

The DB has so far recorded confessional statement of five witnesses in the case since September 13, said a court source.