Sohag murder: Action taken against those involved

Home Adviser Lt Gen (retd) Jahangir Alam Chowdhury yesterday said legal action has been initiated against those involved in the killing of Lal Chand alias Sohag.

Five people have been arrested over the brutal murder, which took place in Old Dhaka's Mitford area on Wednesday, he told journalists during a briefing after inspecting the living conditions of police personnel at the Mill Barracks area in Dhaka.

The case, filed by the victim's sister Manjuara Begum, names 19 individuals and mentions 15 to 20 unnamed others.

Of the named accused, Mahin was detained by Dhaka Metropolitan Police just after the incident on Wednesday. Following up on his information, Robin was arrested early Thursday with a weapon in his possession. The DMP also arrested another accused Titon Gazi early yesterday. On Friday, Rab detained accused Alamgir and "Chhoto" Monir.

"Our detective teams are working on the ground, and we are committed to ensuring that all those responsible are brought to justice."

Describing the killing as a "very distressing incident", he called on all segments of society to work together to curb the rising trend of intolerance.

"We have become increasingly intolerant. Even minor incidents are provoking extreme reactions. [Stopping] This is not solely the responsibility of law enforcers -- teachers, parents, university faculty, doctors, and others must step up too."

The home adviser rejected claims of police inaction, saying law enforcers took prompt measures.

"If they had been inactive, these arrests wouldn't have happened within two days," he said, citing other examples of swift police response. "We are not sitting idle. In some cases, there may be brief delays, but action is taken immediately once the information [of any incident] is verified."

Jahangir urged the public not to take the law into their own hands and to inform police immediately in the event of any incident.

Meanwhile, Law Adviser Asif Nazrul in a Facebook post yesterday said the government is committed to ensuring swift justice in the case.

He wrote that the case would be transferred to a Speedy Trial Tribunal, and proceedings would be conducted under section 10 of the Speedy Trial Tribunal Act, 2002, to ensure justice as soon as possible.

Also yesterday, Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Hasib Ullah Gias placed accused Titon on a five-day remand after police produced him before the court seeking a seven-day remand, according to a court staffer.

Defending himself in court, Titon was quoted as saying, "Please watch the viral video carefully. I did not hit or assault anyone … I was just standing there."

After the judge left the courtroom, the accused was heard telling someone that one Monir had called him to the scene.

Earlier in the day, another accused, Tarek Rahman Robin, gave a confessional statement in an arms case before a magistrate. As he was detained with weapons in his possession, a separate arms case was also filed against him.

Meanwhile, plaintiff Manjuara's daughter Bithi alleged that police excluded three names while preparing the first information report.

She said that around a week before her uncle Sohag was murdered, three people -- Roni, Kaiyum Molla, and another man -- had come to his office and threatened to kill him.

Moniruzzaman, officer-in-charge of Kotwali Police Station, denied the allegation, saying those names were not mentioned when the case was filed. "Those who were actual suspects were listed in the FIR."

On the other hand, three BNP-affiliated organisations -- Jubo Dal, Swechchhasebak Dal, and Chhatra Dal -- have also questioned the exclusion of the three names from the police-prepared FIR.

Jubo Dal President Monayem Munna told reporters, "Those directly involved in the incident -- who are clearly seen in the CCTV footage -- have surprisingly not been named in the case. Those who delivered the fatal blows have still not been arrested. We don't understand why."

Condemning the murder, he said, "We are deeply concerned about the overall law and order situation in the country. The entire nation is shocked after witnessing this brutal and barbaric act. I strongly condemn and protest this savagery."

Sohag was laid to rest beside his mother's grave yesterday morning in Barguna's Sadar upazila. Shortly after, a human chain was formed in front of the Barguna Press Club, demanding justice for him.

(Our Patuakhali correspondent contributed to this report)