Fear grows as murder accused still at large

Police “inefficiency” and failure to arrest the six accused, including Awami League leader and ward councillor Nur Hossain, in the sensational seven-murder case in Narayanganj has now put the victims' families in mounting fear for their lives.  
They said they were feeling a sense of insecurity as none of the culprits had been arrested in nearly four weeks since the abduction and killing. Hossain's men have been reorganising and threatening to kill them.
“Hossain's men can carry a systematic attack on us anytime,” said Abdus Salam, younger brother of Narayanganj city panel mayor Nazrul Islam, one of the victims.
Five people, who had been summoned to the office of the Detective Branch of police in the capital's Khanpur, expressed their fear before the law enforcers yesterday.
DB Officer-in-Charge Mamunur Rashid Mondal, investigation officer of the case, talked to the victims' families for over three hours.
Mizanur Rahman, brother of another victim Swapan, told The Daily Star that DB police had recorded their statements under the section 161 of the penal code.
He added that they had been asked about Nazrul's rivalry with Hossain and on what grounds they were accusing the Rapid Action Battalion of being involved in the abduction and killing.
“We told our part and also expressed fear due to police's failure to arrest the accused,” Mizanur said.
Khandaker Mahid Uddin, Narayanganj police superintendent, said the families were called in as part of the investigation.
On April 27, Narayanganj panel mayor Nazrul Islam and his four aides, and lawyer Chandan Sarker and his driver were kidnapped around the same time after they had left the court area by two cars.
Six bodies, including those of Nazrul and Chandan, were found floating in the Shitalakkhya river on April 30. Another body was found the next day in the river.
Nazrul's widow Selina Islam filed an abduction case accusing Nur Hossain, Yasin Ali, Hasmat Ali and three others with Fatullah Police Station on April 28. The case was transformed into a murder case following the recovery of the bodies.
Meanwhile, Nazrul's father-in-law Shahidul Islam alleged that police were not sincere in quizzing the three Rab officials remanded in the case.
“They have been kept in AC rooms and provided with rich foods. In this way, you cannot expect that police will get any vital information from them,” Shahidul said.
The three Rab officials-- Lt Col Tareque Sayeed Mohammad, Maj Arif Hossain and Lt Commander Masud Rana-- were forced into retirement and later arrested based on Shahidul's allegation.
On May 3, he claimed that some Rab-11 men killed Nazrul and others in exchange for Tk 6 crore from Nur Hossain and his accomplices.
ACC to probe corruption by Nur Hossain, Rab officials
The Anti-Corruption Commission will investigate the corruption allegations against Nur Hossain and the three Rab officials.
"We are collecting data and facts and will launch an inquiry into the matters that fall under the jurisdiction of the commission," ACC Secretary M Faizur Rahman Chowdhury told reporters at the monthly press briefing at the commission's Segunbagicha office in the capital yesterday.