Suspect killed in Rab 'shootout'

The prime suspect of schoolboy Abdullah murder in Keraniganj was killed in a “gunfight” with Rapid Action Battalion early yesterday.

The deceased, Motahar Hossain, a relative of the 11-year-old boy, allegedly masterminded the abduction and killing of Abdullah before dumping his body in a plastic barrel at his own house at Mugarchar in the upazila about a week ago, according police and Rab officials.

Motahar, aged around 50, and his wife went into hiding following the recovery of the minor's body on February 2. Police arrested the couple's son and daughter in connection with the killing the same day.

According to a Rab press note, a patrol team of Crime Prevention Company-2 of Rab-10 asked four men on two motorcycles to stop at Chitakhola in Dakkhin Keraniganj around 4:15am yesterday.

The riders did not stop there and opened fire on them, the press note added.

The on-duty Rab men, led by Deputy Assistant Director Sadrul Alam, retaliated with gunfire “to save their lives and government property”, it mentioned.

At one point of the exchange of gunfire, riders of one motorcycle managed to flee, and another bike fell on the ground, about 100 yards from the Rab men's vehicle.

After the Rab members reached the spot, they found a bullet-hit person lying beside the bike. They searched the area and recovered a foreign-made pistol, a magazine, a bullet and 10 empty shells, claimed the press note.

The injured was taken to the capital's Mitford Hospital where doctors declared him dead.

He was identified as Motahar from the national identity card found in his trousers' pocket, it added.

The Daily Star could not independently verify the Rab claims.

Sources at Sir Salimullah Medical College morgue, where an autopsy was performed, said four bullet wounds were found on his body.

Marfat Ali, a cousin of Motahar and plaintiff of the Abdullah murder case, said he was summoned by the Rab to identify the corpse.

“I wanted Motahar to be caught and tried for his gruesome offense,” he said.

He demanded arrest and punishment of others involved in the killing.

Police arrested Motahar's son Mehedi and daughter Mitu, who were allegedly involved in the killing.

During primary interrogation, Mehedi confessed that he along with his father was involved in the abduction and murder of the boy, police said, adding that the child's decomposed body was recovered from the house as per Mehedi's information.

Son of Badal Hossain, an expatriate living in Kuwait, and Rina Begum, Abdullah went missing after Juma prayers on January 29.

Around 5:30pm the same day, someone texted the victim's family, saying Abdullah had been kidnapped. They also demanded Tk 5.5 lakh as ransom.

His grandfather Marfat filed a general diary that night and an abduction case two days later with Keraniganj Police Station.

According to the child's family, they paid Tk 2 lakh against the Tk 5.5 lakh demanded by the captors.