Businessman's body found 30 days into abduction

The body of a businessman, abducted in Pirganj upazila town of the district last month, was found in a septic tank at Gaurishwarpur village in the upazila on Tuesday.

The deceased is Ashraful Islam, 35, son of Abdus Samad of Anantapur village. He was the owner of Walton Showroom and a market in Chatra Haat area of the town.

Police said a gang called Ashraful, also the co-owner of Shishu Bhuban Kindergarten in the area, out of his showroom on January 18 and since then he remained missing.

The gang then phoned his wife Morsheda Khatun, demanding Tk 3 lakh as ransom for her husband's release, said Md Israil Hossain, officer-in-charge of Pirganj Police Station.

The same day, Morsheda filed a general diary with Pirganj Police Station and also informed Rab-13 about the matter.

After tracking mobile phone calls, the elite force arrested three people on February 1 and 2. They are Abdul Khalek, 40, son of Abdul Khalil of Gaurishwarpur village, his wife Ripa Begum, 30, and Mostafa Kamal, 35, son of late Abdul Jalil Mian of Iklimpur village in the upazila.

On February 16, the arrestees were produced in a court that placed them on a three-day remand. During interrogation, they told police that village doctor Azahar Ali of Chatra Haat and Pharmacist of Pirganj Upazila Health and Family Planning office Mokbul Hossain were involved in the killing.

The law enforcers later arrested Azahar Ali and Mokbul Hossain from Chatra Haat area, said OC Israil.

According to their confessional statements, police recovered the decomposed body of the businessman from the septic tank of a flood shelter centre at Gaurishwarpur village in the upazila early Tuesday, he added.

The body was later sent to Rangpur Medical College and Hospital morgue for autopsy.