Police yet to find killers

One month into the gruesome murder of lawmaker Manzarul Islam Liton, the killers are yet to be arrested or identified, despite law enforcers' intensive investigation over the matter.

Police detained as many as 128 people, mostly belonging to BNP and Jamaat-Shibir, for interrogation in this connection and shown arrested 23 people as suspects. Police interrogated 12 arrested people on different terms of remand and now all are in jail.

Police also interrogated slain Liton's family members on several occasions. They are Liton's wife Khurshid Jahan Smrity, elder brother-in-law Badrul Ahsan Betar, elder sister Afroza Bari, younger sister and plaintiff of Liton murder case Fahmida Bulbul Kakoli, driver Khandaker Forkan Ali, caretaker Yusuf Ali, neighbour Class VIII student Jewel Mia, and several near relatives, friends and party men.

Liton's wife Smrity blamed Jamaat-Shibir activists for her husband's murder.

Police and other law enforcement agencies interrogated Liton's brother-in-law Badrul Ahsan Betar on several occasions as he was an eyewitness to the incident and helped in shifting critically bullet injured Liton to Rangpur Medical College Hospital.

"My house is under police watch and law enforcers interrogate us every now and then. I saw the killers before the murder took place, as I entered my sister's room through the drawing room. I think I can identify the killers if I see them again," said Badrul.

Ruling party lawmaker from Gaibandha-1, Manzarul Islam Liton was shot by unknown assailants at his Masterpara house on December 31, 2016 and he died at Rangpur Medical College Hospital shortly afterwards.

"We are applying all strategies to find clues to the lawmaker's murder and expecting to get success soon," said Ashrafuzzaman, investigation officer of Liton murder case.

"We suspect the murder took place in a planned way and as so, it may need some time to solve the mystery," said Atiar Rahma, officer in charge of Sundarganj Police Station.