Only one escaped death

Rasu Khan

Unlike the 11 victims of Rasu, 19-year-old Ruma of Panchkuri, Nandail in Mymensingh got a second lease of life and was able to narrate the horror before police.
Calm and poised 40-year-old serial killer Rasu Khan lured Ruma, daughter of Giasuddin, to Chandpur on January 6, 2005. He tortured her unconscious near a bridge at Balia and left her there convinced she was dead.
She took treatment at different hospitals and narrated her story to police and on April 29 the same year police filed a case in this connection.
Rasu Khan of Chandpur has killed at least 11 women since a girl rejected his proposal 15 years ago. He had vowed to kill 101 women when hired goons of the family members of that girl tortured him, according to his confessional statement before police.
Fifteen-years-ago Rasu was living in Tongi, Dhaka, where he met Sharmin of a rich family. He claimed before police that he proposed to her several times but was rejected. He also said he was severely beaten by the goons of her family members, which made him "angry towards women".
He claimed that he thought about living his life at Shahjalal's shrine in Sylhet "like Nizam Uddin Awlia" but first he had to kill 101 women.
Rasu told police he had killed six women in Faridganj of Chandpur, four in Chandpur Sadar and one in Haimchar of Chandpur.
Police have so far been able to identify five victims of supposedly the country's first serial killer. They are: Hashar Parveen of Faridganj in Chandpur, Rasu's brother-in-law Mannan's wife Shahida, Kohinoor of Niraspara in Tongi, Mehedi of the same area and Rina of Durgapur in Chandpur.
After Rasu's arrest, his wife Rina and their three sons, went to Chandpur District Jail. Rina told journalist she was able to meet her husband after a long wait. She asked him, "What have you done? Did you not think of us?
"He said do not expect me to come out and be with you. They will hang me."
Rasu Khan has three sons and a daughter.
Rina said her husband used to work as a supervisor at a garment factory in Dhaka. She said she was not aware that her husband has killed so many women.
Rasu, initially arrested for theft, confessed to killing 11 women, aged between 15 and 35, in his attempt to reach the number 101, police said Sunday. He began confessing the murders Saturday in police custody.
He was produced before a court Sunday where he recorded a three-hour-long confessional statement under section 164 of the CrPC.
Faridganj police said Rasu was first arrested at Niraspara in Tongi on September 3 in connection with stealing 10-12 fans from a mosque in Gazipur.
He was placed on remand on October 8, 2009 in a case filed in connection with the killing of a teen-age girl.
Officer-in-Charge of Faridganj Police Station Ranjit Chandra Palit said, "Police had been investigating the recent murder of a woman in Chandpur after being tipped off by a caller on cellphone. When police tried to trace the caller the phone number was found inactive.
"It was later reactivated and police arrested the user and found out that the user had bought the SIM [subscriber identification module of mobile phones] from Rasu."
Rasu eventually confessed to using the phone for contacting women, take them on outings in Chandpur, torturing and killing them, and dumping the bodies in water, said Palit.
Rasu's first wife was Monu of Larua in Faridganj. He was married to her for 11 years. The marriage eventually came to an end and he later married Monu's younger sister Rina.
Rasu said his first victim was his brother-in-law Mannan's wife Shahida, whom he killed in early 2007.
He reportedly lured her to Bhatialganj in Faridganj, raped her, and strangled her. Rasu told police he left the body on the Dakatia river.
He told police that he raped the women he "liked" before killing them. Others were strangled straightaway.
His last victim, a woman from Paltaluk in Faridganj, was killed with the help of his nephew Zahirul, he told police. Zahirul has been arrested.
Rasu in his confession also claimed that a number of influential people had helped him escape law enforcers. He did not mention their names saying that his family might face problems if he did.
Faridganj OC Palit said Rasu was remarkably calm and poised during his confession and questioning. "He did not seem to be mentally ill at all," said the police officer.
Rasu was oddly at ease describing the murders before media.
"I hope not to be killed in any 'crossfire', I would rather be punished according to the law," he said during a police press briefing.
Nine of the cases filed in connection with the murders had stalled and the authorities said they are opening up investigation into those cases.