TAQI MURDER Govt unwillingness blamed for delay in probe

The Rapid Action Battalion assigned to investigate the murder of Tanwir Muhammed Taqi in Narayanganj has failed to submit the charge sheet though seven and a half years have passed since the 17-year old student was killed in March 2013.

The victim’s family members as well as activists  blamed the government’s unwillingness for the long delay and they claimed that the case did not progress following its due course as the suspects were influential and close to the government.

They alleged that the RAB investigators had been seeking time to the court on every scheduled dates almost every months to submit the probe report only to elapse time.

Court officials said that the next date of the case for submitting probe report is scheduled for October 10.

RAB officials, as in the past, said that they were investigating the murder case giving it due importance.

Taqi was killed when he was an A-level student at ABC International School in the river port city of Narayanganj. He was abducted on March 6, 2013 and his body was found floating in a canal two days later.

Taqi’s father Rafiur Rabbi who is a leading cultural activist in the city filed a case with Narayanganj police station in connection with the murder of his son on March 8, 2013, accusing unidentified assailants.

After 10 days, Rabbi on March 18, 2013 gave the names of seven suspects to then Narayanganj superintendent of police. They are ruling Awami League MP AKM Shamim Osman, his son Ayon Osman, their associates Jahirul Islam Parvej, who went missing a few months after Twaqi was murdered, Mizanur Rahman Sujon, Rajib Das, Saleh Rahman Simanto and Rifat.

As there was no headway in the investigations by the police, on May 28, 2013, the High Court, responding to Rafiur Rabbi’s appeal, ordered the RAB to investigate the case.

 

10 months after they were given the responsibility of the probe, then RAB additional director general Ziaul Ahsan in March 2014, in a press conference, told the media that the RAB found the involvement of Ajmeri Osman and 10 others in Taqi’s murder.

Meanwhile, on November 12, 2013, Sultan Shawkat Bhramar in his confessional statement gave detailed account of how Taqi was murdered on the night of March 6, 2013.

Sultan Shawkat Bhramar is a close associate of Ajmeri Osman and, in his confessional statement in the court, he had said that Twaqi was murdered after abduction by a group led by Ajmeri Osman, said a statement issued by Narayanganj Sangskritik Jote that had been observing candle lighting vigil on the eighth day of each month in Narayanganj demanding arrest of the accused and the commencement of the trial.

‘Start of the trial in the murder case remains a far cry as even the charge sheet in the case is yet to be submitted,’ Taqi’s father Rafiur Rabbi told New Age.

He said that though the investigation was completed and charge sheet was prepared for submission six and a half years ago, they were not submitted for government’s unwillingness.

‘The process remained stalled for seven and a half long years as the people involved in the murder are members of the ruling party and close to the government,’ he said, adding, ‘Despite all this, we demand justice,’ he said.

RAB legal and media wing director Ashik Billah said that they were investigating the case and would not share anything for the sake of proper investigation.

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net