Tipu’s aide hired hitman, armed him

An aide of Awami League leader Jahidul Islam Tipu hired the hitman and gave him a gun to have Tipu assassinated, according to the confessional statement of hitman Masum Mohammad Akash.

Shamim Hossain, 37, also took Akash to different places in a motorcycle for two consecutive days before the attack on Tipu, former general secretary of Motijheel AL.

Shamim, who is now on the run, used to participate in all political programmes attended by Tipu.

Detectives came up with the information after analysing Akash's confessional statement. Akash gave the statement before a Dhaka court on Tuesday after his seven-day remand.

Investigators said Shamim's brother-in-law Md Sony is a businessperson and has two buildings -- one in Shantinagar and another in Kamalapur.

Recently, Sony became paralysed following a stroke. Shamim now collects rent from the buildings and also looks after his business.

In the statement, Akash told the court that Shamim is his friend.

Completing a diploma in graphic design, Akash worked in a restaurant. He was also involved in the cable business.

Akash claimed that he was accused in five politically motivated cases in 2007.

"For the cases, my family life was hampered and I had to stay away from my family. Shamim knew it. On March 15-16, Shamim called my number and asked if I would be able to do a job for him. If I can, all my cases will be settled," said a court source, quoting from the statement.

Asked about the job, Shamim told Akash, who knew him for the last nine to 10 years, that the job was to kill a person.

A couple of days later, Akash met Shamim at Kamalapur. Then Shamim arranged a phone conversation between Akash and one Musa.

"Musa then asked me whether Shamim had briefed me about the job. I replied yes," the court source said, quoting Akash as saying.

"Musa then said he will be timely provided with all the necessary things for the task."

After the phone conversation, Shamim informed Akash that Musa assigned him to kill Tipu.

The decision was made in a meeting at Rupali Club in Kamalapur.

Shamim along with Musa, Manik, Damal and four to five others were present there, said Akash in the statement.

Getting the task, Shamim talked to Akash.

On March 23 evening, Akash went to Kamalapur ICD area with Shamim and met an unknown person aged around 30. The man gave Shamim a blue bag and a motorbike. A pistol was in the bag, said Akash.

"In the motorbike, Shamim took me to a hotel at AGB Colony of Motijheel, where Tipu generally sat. But moments later, a text came to Shamim's phone that Tipu will not be found there," said Akash.

Then Shamim with Akash went to Goran area and returned the bike and the pistol to the man, from whom those had been collected.

The next day, on March 24, the bike and the pistol were collected again from the man. Shamim drove the bike and took Akash to AGB Colony. From there, they started following Tipu's microbus.

When the car reached Shahjahanpur's Amtala Signal, Shamim took position beside a median from the wrong side. Akash then got down from the bike and started opening fire on Tipu who was in a microbus that got stuck in a traffic jam, said the court source, quoting Akash as saying.

Tipu and Prity, a student who happened to be on a rickshaw next to the microbus, were killed.

After the incident, Shamim along with Akash again went to Goran area and returned the pistol and the motorbike to the man.

"Five to six minutes later, Shamim fled. I also called my friend Sohel, who had a car. In the car, I went to Bogura," said Akash.

"For the task, Shamim or Musa did not offer me any money but they assured me that they would pay all the money needed to settle all the five cases filed against me," he said in his statement.

Shamim told him that Musa wanted to take control on illegal businesses in Motijheel in support of top criminals Jisan and Manik, Akash said while giving his statement before the court about the reasons behind Tipu murder.

Besides, Tipu was also giving support to the family of slain Rizvy Hasan to continue the proceedings into his murder case in which Musa was a charge-sheeted accused. Musa wanted to stop the case, said Akash in the court.

Detectives said they were now looking for Shamim and the firearm used in killing Tipu.

They added that after arresting Shamim, they would be able to know why Shamim was involved in Tipu murder.

Contacted, Md Sony, brother-in-law of Shamim, told this newspaper that they were surprised to hear that Shamim was involved in the murder as he was an aide of Tipu.