Mayor Lokman's killers identified

Two additional deputy inspectors general of police have claimed that the killers of Narsingdi mayor Lokman Hossain have been “identified”.
DIG (investigation) Nuruzzaman and DIG (crime) Chowdhury Abdullah Al Mamun, both from Dhaka range, were sent to Narsingdi yesterday to monitor developments in the case relating to the murder.
Talking to local reporters there, they said on instructions from the prime minister they had come to gather first-hand knowledge of the progress in the case.
After discussions with top police officials in the district and others involved in the investigation, they assured journalists that the perpetrators would be arrested “very soon”.
“We believe the investigation is in its last stage. Investigators have identified the killers. Within two or three days, we will be able to disclose the names,” our Narsingdi correspondent quoted Abdullah Al Mamun as saying.
Asked if any sort of political pressure was being exerted on them since the names of a minister and his brother had surfaced in connection with the murder, both the DIGs said their work was backed by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and there was no question of their being under political pressure.
Meanwhile, in Narsingdi municipality area, frustration grows as each day passes. All fourteen persons implicated in the Lokman murder case are still at large. Salauddin Ahmed Bachchu, brother of Posts and Telecommunications Minister Rajiuddin Ahmed Raju, is the prime accused in the case.
Thousands of people yesterday gathered at different points of the municipal area, including Satir Para, Choala and Kader Molla City College, to express their deep anger over the failure of the police to arrest any of the accused, even 12 days after the killing.
At the meeting at Satir Para, locals demanded that Nazrul Islam MP stay in his constituency (Narsingdi Sadar) till the perpetrators of the murder are arrested.
The ruling party MP promised that he would not go anywhere until the criminals were arrested and punished.
The Superintendent of Police, Narsingdi, told this correspondent, “We have different ways of investigation. Arresting persons mentioned in the case is not compulsory to find the real culprits.”
Nazrul Islam, an Awami League MP from the district, yesterday said local officials had assured him of “unearthing the killing mystery”.
“They [officials investigating the case] have told me that they know the names of the persons involved in the killing,” Nazrul Islam said while speaking at a gathering.
“Investigative officers have zeroed in on their targets,” said the lawmaker.
Nazrul Islam also said even if any party insider is found guilty, he or she would be given exemplary punishment.
On Thursday, however, he had raised eyebrows when he said that Salauddin Ahmed could not have been involved in the murder. He also advocated the case of Masudur Rahman Murad, another accused in the case and an assistant personal secretary of the telecoms minister.
BNP PRESS CONFERENCE
The Narsingdi BNP yesterday morning in a press briefing demanded immediate withdrawal of the cases filed against the party's district unit chief, Khairul Kabir Khokon.
It also demanded the acquittal of Tareq Ahmed, vice president of Narsingdi Government College BNP, from the charge of killing Lokman Hossain. Tareq is now in Saudi Arabia for hajj.
The press conference was held at Brahmandi in Narsingdi town.