Ex-DU professor missing for 2 days found dead in Gazipur

Saida Gaffar, a retired professor of the Institute of Nutrition and Food Science at the Dhaka University, was found dead near her under-construction house in Gazipur today two days after she went missing.

Mahbube Khoda, officer-in-charge of Kashimpur Police Station, confirmed the development to our Gazipur correspondent.

Police recovered the body of Saida Gaffar (71), who remained missing since Wednesday, from Panishail area this morning.

The OC said the victim's son Said Iftekhar Bin Jahir and daughter Saida Afrin came to the police station on Wednesday night and informed them over the missing of their mother.

Later, Saida Afrin filed a general diary with the police station in this connection, said the OC.

OC Mahbube further said they detained Anwarul Islam (42), a construction worker of the project, from Gaibandha on suspicion.

Talking to this correspondent, the teacher's son Iftekhar said a housing project for Dhaka University teachers was being constructed in Panisahil area. His mother was living in a rented house next to the project area as she was overseeing the construction work of her house at the project site.

The construction work of the house was about to be completed and they were supposed to get the house ready within next week, he said.

Anwar (no relation), the contractor of the housing project, found the door of her rented house open on Wednesday evening and informed them, said Iftekhar, adding that his sister lodged a diary with the police station on the same night as she went missing.

During the interrogation, Anwarul admitted that he had strangled Saida Gaffar to death and dumped her body in a nearby forest, said the police official.

Later, on basis of the information provided by Anwarul, the body was recovered near the rented house, said the OC, adding that police are trying to find out the cause of the murder.

The body was handed over to family after autopsy, said the police official.