Ivy's friend knows better

Awami League lawmaker Shamim Osman yesterday claimed that the quizzing of a friend of Narayanganj Mayor Selina Hayat Ivy would unravel facts about the seven murders.

"Fifteen days before the incident, Ivy had a heated argument with Nazrul [slain Narayanganj city councillor] over awarding a city corporation work to Abu Sufian, a friend of Ivy. Nazrul strongly protested it," said Narayanganj-4 AL lawmaker Shamim, a staunch political rival of Ivy.

He was talking to journalists at the Secretariat after his deposition to a government-formed committee probing the seven murders committed in Narayanganj more than three months back.

Shamim's statement came a day after Ivy told reporters that godfathers in Narayanganj city were involved in the brutal killings. She made the remark after giving testimony to the probe body.

On April 27, seven people -- Narayanganj City Corporation panel mayor Nazrul Islam, his four associates, senior lawyer Chandan Sarker and his driver -- were kidnapped in Narayanganj. Later, their bodies were found floating in the Shitalakkhya river.

Shamim claimed he was the first to raise allegations of some Rab members' involvement in the abduction and murder of the seven.

“I came to know this within half an hour of the incident, and informed the CO [commanding officer] and ADG [assistant director general] of Rab, the home ministry, Prime Minister's Secretariat, the SP, the DC, and the OC,” he said.

At the time, Ivy claimed that no Rab personnel were involved in the incident, said Shamim.

However, at a talk show at the private TV channel Ekattor last night, Ivy rejected Shamim's statement, and said she had never made any claim that Rab personnel were not involved in the murders.

Ivy also ruled out Shamim's claim that local AL leader Nur Hossain, the prime accused in the seven murder case, was her aide.

“If Nur was my aide, would he not phone me?” asked Ivy at the TV programme.

At the secretariat, Shamim told reporters that Nazrul's wife and father-in-law had told him about Rab personnel's involvement in the murders.

He said the truth in his allegations was proved through the confessional statements of the Rab personnel arrested for their alleged involvement in the murders. 

On his phone conversation with Nur Hossain, Shamim said he had talked to Nur over the phone on advice from officials of the Detective Branch of Police to find out whether Nur had a visa for any country.

Shamim then questioned why law enforcers did not arrest Nur despite knowing that he had made calls from Gulshan and Dhanmondi.

“Ivy has repeatedly claimed that Nur is my aide. But then why did she make Nur the chief of the law and arbitration committee of the city corporation …. why did she allow him to use the truck stand?” asked Shamim.

He said if Nur was brought back from India, it would be clear whether the murders were committed in exchange for money.

Nur, who fled the country two days after the murders, is now in prison in India.

Meanwhile, a Narayanganj court yesterday issued an order for bringing back Nur Hossain with the help of Interpol, reports our Narayanganj Correspondent.

An English version of the order passed by Senior Judicial Magistrate Chandni Rupam is expected to reach Interpol today.

On condition of anonymity, a police official said Interpol, an international police organisation, only provides information about criminals to its member countries. It does not detain criminals.