Rifat Murder: Main suspects still at large

The police on Friday were yet to arrest main suspects in the murder of Rifat Sharif who was hacked to death in Barguna on Wednesday morning but said they stepped up efforts to round them up.

The police officials in Dhaka said they were desperate to capture the main suspects Sabbir Hossain Noyon and Rifat Farazi, two of the attackers who used sharp weapons to hack Rifat in the presence of his wife Ayesha Siddiqua.

The police headquarters in press note said that they were considering the case with ‘highest importance’ and so far arrested three of the suspects. 

Of the three, Hasan and Chandan were named in the First Information Report filed by Rifat’s father Abdul Halim Dulal Sharif while Nazmul Hasan was arrested on suspicious.

Hasan and Nazmul were arrested on June 27 while Chandan was arrested hours after the killing on June 26.

A judicial magistrate court in Boguna remanded on Friday Chandan and Hasan for seven days each in police custody while Nazmul Hasan was remanded for three days.

The press note sent by the police headquarters spokesperson assistant inspector general (media and public relations) Sohel Rana said instructions were given to all airports, land ports and river ports across the country so that the suspects could not leave the country.

The authorities of all airports, land and river ports have been asked to take necessary measures, assistant inspector general (media) Sohel Rana said on Friday.

He said various police units, including the Criminal Investigation Department, Police Bureau of Investigation, Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime were working together to catch the suspects.

The police headquarters sought information from the citizens if they had any on the suspects and hoped they would be captured soon.

Rifat, 22, was hacked to death by criminals in front of his wife in broad daylight in Barguna district town on June 26. The incident was caught on camera and went viral on social media triggering huge outcry across the country.

Following the day, Rifat’s father Dulal Sharif filed an FIR with Barguna Police Station where he mentioned names of 12 suspects and said 5 to 7 unnamed suspects were also with the miscreants.

Barguna superintendent of police Maruf Hossain said they were working round the clock hunt down the suspects.

He said that Rifat Farazi was accused in four cases while Nayon was accused in eight others.

On Friday, home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal also said that the main suspects would be arrested soon.

A protest rally was held in the Dhaka University demanding justice.

The police, meanwhile, deployed their personnel for the protection of the widow, Ayesha, at her village home.

The police investigators said the suspects used Facebook messenger to plot the killing and opened a chat group named 007 on the eve of the killing. The police investigators came to know about the group.

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net