Bullet-hit body of man accused in 18 cases found
Wife claims he was picked up by law enforcers
Police claimed to have recovered the bullet-hit body of a man from Bhulesshor Netartek forest area of Kapasia in Gazipur early yesterday.
The deceased Jasim Uddin Iqbal, 36, was a resident of Chandra area of Kaliakoir. Originally from Kishoreganj, he moved to the area around 15 years ago and worked in a shoe factory. OC Rafiqul Islam of Kaliakoir Police Station said there were 18 cases filed under forest act and two arrest warrants issued against Jasim.
Locals claim he became a police source a couple of years ago. Police denies the claim.
Locals also said Jasim had evaded arrest due to his relationship with Gazipur police. He built around 100 tin-roofed houses on a forest land and rented them out. He even built a mosque in the area.
His wife Happy Akhtar Chhaya claimed a sub-inspector (SI) of Mouchak police outpost in Kaliakoir called her husband out on Thursday afternoon.
The SI, Saiful Islam, who was acquainted with her husband, called Jasim to show his new car, Chhaya claimed. SI Rezaul Karim of detective branch (DB) was with Saiful at that time, she added.
She further told The Daily Star that she spoke to SI Saiful over the phone twice that night, and offered “whatever they want” to speak to her husband.
She identified Jasim's body at Shaheed Tajuddin Ahmed Medical College Hospital morgue yesterday morning.
Contacted, SI Saiful denied the allegation of calling Jasim out of the home. He, however, admitted that he was acquainted with Jasim.
Abu Bakar Siddique, officer-in-charge of Kapasia Police Station, said a patrol team led by SI Sumon heard gunshots while on duty in Bhulesshor Netartek forest area early yesterday and found the bullet-hit body. A pistol was also found from his possession, he said.
The area is around 60km away from Jasim's house.
The OC said they did not know Jasim and therefore could not identify the body immediately.
They filed two cases -- one for murder and the other under arms act.
“We're suspecting that he was killed during a clash between two criminal groups,” the OC said, adding that they sent the body to Kapasia Upazila Health Complex where the duty doctor declared him dead.
Resident medical officer Hasan Jamil Ibne Kollol of the health complex said police brought the body which sustained two bullets -- in the head and chest.
Kapasia Union Parishad member Abdul Motaleb said police called him over the phone around 3:30am and asked him to go to the spot where he found a blood-stained body and a pistol.
“But before getting the call, I did not hear any gunshot or any ruckus,” he said.
On September 5, a Bangla daily ran a report on Jasim, claiming he has amassed vast property despite starting his career as a peon in a shoe factory, through land-grabbing and extortion.