Taqi Murder: 11 years on, probe yet to be completed
Yet another year of the killing of Tanwir Muhammad Taqi in Narayanganj passed by and the investigating body, Rab, like the past nine years, said the investigation is still ongoing, prolonging the wait of Taqi's parents for justice.
The grieving parents saw a glimpse of hope days before Taqi's first death anniversary when Rab claimed that it had cracked the murder mystery and even prepared a draft probe report.
The draft probe report was leaked in the media, revealing involvement of 11 people, including Azmery Osman, in the killing.
Azmery is the son of late Jatiyo Party lawmaker Nasim Osman and nephew of ruling Awami League MP Shamim Osman.
A day before Taqi's first death anniversary, Col Ziaul Ahsan, the then additional director general of Rab, told the media they had evidence of the involvement of the 11 and insisted the charge sheet would be submitted any day.
That day, however, has yet to come, even after 10 long years, highlighting the authorities' unwillingness to end it.
The court extended time 70 times to complete the investigation so far after Rab sought more time to complete the probe.
"Rab prepared the charge sheet, but it did not press it in last 10 years as members of Narayanganj's influential Osman family are involved in this murder," Rafiur Rabbi, Taqi's father, told The Daily Star recently.
The family has an 'undeclared indemnity' by the government, he alleged.
According to the leaked probe findings, Azmery not only masterminded the murder of the bright teenage boy in Narayanganj but also directly took part in it.
At his directives, his accomplices followed Taqi and forcefully took him to his "torture centre" at Winner Fashion on Allama Iqbal Road on March 6, 2013.
Later that night, Azmery and his cohorts beat and strangled the seventeen-year-old boy to death. His body was then put into a sack and taken to Charargop area in Azmery's car.
From there, the killers took the body to Kumudini Jora Khal in a boat and dumped it in the Shitalakkhya sometime between 1:00am and 1:30am on March 7.
Taqi's body was recovered from the river the next day, according to the findings.
Taqi went missing after he left his Shaista Khan Road home in Narayanganj for Sudhijon Pathagar, a local library, around 4:00pm on March 6, 2013.
A day after his body was found, his A-level results were out, which showed he got the world's highest mark in physics in that exam, obtaining 297 out of 300.
The day Taqi's body was found, Rabbi filed a murder case with Narayanganj Sadar Model Police Station. Later, on March 18 that year, he submitted a supplementary complaint to the superintendent of police against seven people, including Shamim Osman, and 8-10 unnamed others.
The home ministry on June 20, 2013, handed the case to Rab upon a High Court order following an appeal by Rabbi.
According to the Rab report, Azmery killed Taqi as his father Rabbi, along with his supporters, actively campaigned for Selina Hayet Ivy ahead of the Narayanganj City Corporation election.
On August 7, 2013, Rab officers raided Azmery's "Winner Fashion" office in Narayanganj and seized a pair of blood-stained jeans, a pistol butt and equipment used for yaba consumption. Officials also found numerous bullet marks on the walls, an almirah and a sofa.
The leaked report also mentioned the role of each of the 11 accused in the murder.
The other accused are Yusuf Hossain Liton, Sultan Shawkat alias Bhromor, Tayebuddin Jaky, Rajib, Kalam Shikder, Mamun, Apu, Kajol, Shipon, and Jamshed Hossain.
Rab had arrested Liton, Bhromor, Jaky and two other suspects -- Rifat Bin Osman and Salah Rahman Simanta. All of them are now out of jail on bail.
Liton and Bhromor made confessional statements before courts under section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure in July and November 2013, narrating details from the murder planning to the execution.
Bhromor, however, appealed to the magistrate concerned later, seeking withdrawal of his statement.
Now all the accused including Bhromor and Liton are absconding after securing the bail from the court.
Asked about the progress of the investigation, Lt Col Tanvir Mahmud Pasha, commanding officer of Rab-11, said the case is "still under investigation" and it will take more time to complete the investigation.
He, however, said Rab headquarters is pressing to submit the probe report after completing the investigation quickly.
"We in coordination with the Rab headquarters' investigation wing are now investigating the case," Tanvir told The Daily Star.
Replying to a query, he denied facing any influence by anyone.
However, Rabbi is still hopeful of getting justice. "Hopefully the trial will take place someday; if not the tenure of current government, then maybe later, and the killers will be punished," he said.
WHAT SHAMIM OSMAN SAYS
Shamim Osman yesterday told The Daily Star that neither he nor any member of his family was involved in the Taqi murder. Yet, their names were linked to the killing to damage his family politically, he added.
"Being a father, I want a judicial inquiry into the murder. I want the investigation to be conducted in the way Taqi's family feels satisfied with it. If the government forms such an inquiry committee and it is suspected that I will influence the investigation process, my position as an MP can be suspended during the investigation," he said.
"Taqi's murder case has been politicised just like the seven-murder case," he claimed.
Referring to the seven murders in Narayanganj in April 2014, Shamim said, "How authentic the investigation was, which was carried out by Maj (sacked) Arif and other Rab members who killed seven innocent people?"
They talk about the findings of a draft charge sheet, but in law, there is no place for a draft charge sheet. Besides, the draft charge sheet does not prove our involvement in this incident, he added.
Referring to the supplementary complaint submitted to the SP by Rabbi, the lawmaker said at the time of the incident he was in Dubai and his son was in Delhi.
"Then they accused my nephew (Azmery). It was claimed the blood-stained pants recovered from my nephew's office belonged to Taqi, but when the body was recovered Taqi had his pants and shirt on," he said.
After the pant was recovered, the family of Ashiqul Islam Ashiq, who was murdered on May 11, 2011, claimed the pant was of Ashiq and alleged that Azmery was involved in the murder.
Asked, Shamim said, "How can it be claimed that the pants were Ashiq's without a DNA test?"
"I believe Taqi's father has been misguided politically," Shamim also said.
Azmery could not be reached despite repeated attempts through phone calls and text messages.
Rabbi did not want to make any comment over Shamim Osman's remarks, saying, "In the last 11 years, he (Shamim) has made different statements. I do not want to make any comment."
Prosecution lawyer Pradip Ghosh said the law allows a victim's family to file a supplementary complaint mentioning suspects' names and Rab's investigation has already found their links.
"Now the accused are trying to divert the case by making various statements, as the charge sheet was not pressed all these years," he added.