How cruel can man be

Terming the Narayanganj seven-murder a glaring example of cruelty to its highest degree, the High Court yesterday observed that the accused Rab men were unkind even to the bodies of the victims.

“To what extent man can be cruel, unkind and heartless, the condemned prisoners demonstrated it and the alleged occurrence is the glaring example of cruelty to its highest degree,” said the court while delivering the verdict over the abduction and killing of seven in 2014.

The accused strangled the victims using polythene and rope and tied up the bodies with two plastic sacks containing 10 bricks each to facilitate their drowning, said the HC bench of Justice Bhabani Prasad Singha and Justice Mustafa Zaman Islam. 

It is also required to be mentioned that, said the court, the accused Rab personnel were so unkind even to the bodies that they perforated the abdomens with dagger for easy drowning of the bodies in the river.

“The alleged occurrence sends a chill of panic down the spine to human beings. In what agony the victim persons passed their time in the custody of the accused Rab personnel with death staring in their faces is beyond thinking,” Justice Bhabani Prasad Singha said.

The judgment read that the incident was the outcome of the conspiracy and financial assistance of expelled local Awami League leader Nur Hossain and the crime was committed under the leadership of three the then Rab officials -- Tareque Sayeed Mohammad, Arif Hossain and Masud Rana.

The HC, however, said for the despicable, abominable and horrendous act of some aberrant and unscrupulous Rab members, the glory and achievement of the elite force, which has been playing the pioneering role of maintaining law and order and countering terrorism, cannot be tarnished.

The court also mentioned that Shahidul Islam, the father-in-law of Nazrul Islam, stated in the evidence that he, holding the feet of Tareque Sayeed, pleaded for the return of the victim, saying he would pay more money than what Nur Hossain had paid.

According to the HC judgment, Nur Hossain is the mastermind of the killings. 

“It is also revealed that as a sequel to previous enmity with victim Nazrul Islam, accused Nur Hossain got the victims kidnapped and got killed and made disappearance of the bodies of the victims in the estuary of two rivers by the accused Rab personnel in exchange of money,” said the court.

The mobile phone call list of his conversation with Arif Hossain and his fleeing to India immediately after the occurrence show that he is the mastermind and the linchpin of the alleged occurrence, read the verdict.

Though the investigating officer said he did not find documentary evidence of exchange of money between Nur Hossain and the accused Rab personnel, the HC said, “It is quite natural in view of the fact that exchange of money for an illegal act is not made through documentary evidence.”