Culprits identified, motive unknown

A government-formed committee has “identified” the culprits involved in the sensational abduction and killings of seven people in Narayanganj but could not detect the motive behind the incidents.
Mizanur Rahman Khan, deputy secretary in the ministry of law and a member of the committee, said this while talking to The Daily Star after handing over a progress report on the investigation to the attorney general's (AG) office for placing it before the High Court today.
“Everybody knows who were involved in the abduction and killings and the probe body has also identified them. But I cannot disclose their names at this stage of investigation,” he said.
Mizanur said the probe committee required more time to unearth the motive behind the incidents and had sought four more weeks from the HC to complete its investigation.
Satisfactory progress had been made in the investigation, he claimed.
AG office sources said the seven-member probe committee had so far recorded statements of 350 people, including three dismissed Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) officials about the killings.
Deputy Attorney General ASM Nazmul Haque told The Daily Star that his office had received progress reports on the investigations from the probe committee, the inspection general of police, Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and the Rab.
He added that Attorney General Mahbubey Alam would place the reports with the HC bench of Justice Md Rezaul Haque and Justice Gobinda Chandra Tagore today.
Nazmul, however, refused to disclose the contents of the reports, saying the matter was now pending with the HC.
Earlier on June 4, the HC bench during the hearing of a suo moto rule directed the probe committee, the IGP, Rab and CID to submit progress reports on July 9.
Narayanganj city panel mayor Nazrul Islam, his four associates, senior lawyer Chandan Sarker and his driver were abducted on April 27 allegedly by some Rab personnel.
Their bodies were found floating in the Shitalakkhya river a couple of days later.