Riad's mother denies son's involvement

Mother of Junaid Ahmed Riad, one of the accused in the Himu murder case, yesterday denied her son's and husbands' involvement in the incident of torture on Himu that led to his death.
Rehana Aktar, at a press conference in Chittagong Press Club, claimed that her husband Shah Selim Tipu and their son Riad were away to a local mosque to perform prayers when the incident occurred.
She claimed that Riad's friends Shaju, Danny and Shaon, were also busy with prayers at the time.
She, however, could not say who were involved with the incident that took place at the building of Farhad Mansion, which is owned by Tipu, at Panchlaish Residential Area in the port city.
Asked about Tipu's whereabouts, Rehana said she was not in contact with him for some time and that he will face the public when the right time comes.
Danny's mother Anwara Begum, Riad's grandmother Delwara Begum and his teachers Sajedul Ajad Chowdhury Sahajid and Shahed Sharif were present at the conference among others.
Meanwhile, members of Shikor, an anti-drug organisation with which Himu was involved, formed a human chain in front of Chittagong Press Club yesterday demanding arrest of and punishment to the accused in the Himu murder case.
On April 27, Himadri Majumder Himu, 18, was taken to Farhad Mansion by his friends where they allegedly assaulted him, unleashed dogs onto him and pushed him down from the fourth floor of the building.
He succumbed to his injuries at Square Hospital in Dhaka on May 23.
A murder case was filed with Panchlaish Police Station in this regard accusing Riad, Shaju, Danny and Shaon and Tipu. Of them, only Shaju has been arrested so far.