One held for aiding murder of politician

By Mizan Rahman/Dhaka

Police yesterday arrested a fleeing aide of Fulgazi sub-district chairman Ekramul Haque Ekram. He is accused of aiding the murder of his boss.

He was nabbed near the border with India in Bornal area under Matiranga sub-district in Khagrachhari district early yesterday.

He was identified as Belal Hossain alias Belal Patwary 45, son of late Raja Mia of Islampur.

Patwary was in a car behind Ekram’s vehicle on the day of the murder. But, he got down from his car just before the killing saying he had some personal matters to attend, his relatives said.

Patwary worked as a personal assistant to the slain upazila chairman, locals said.

Ekram’s supporters set Patwary’s Anandapur house in Fulgazi on fire on Monday, insisting that he was involved in planning the murder.

Khagrachhari superintendent of police (SP) SK Mizanur Rahman said acting on a tip-off, a platoon of police led by Matiranga police station chief Mohamad Mainuddin Khan raided the home of Bashar Mia alias Dubaiwala Masud at Barnal village at 2.30am yesterday and arrested Belal.

“Belal might have been planning to flee into India,” the SP said.

“Belal is now in Matiranga police custody and he would be handed over to Feni police.” Feni police chief Mahbub Morshed told him that Patwari was one of the masterminds of the killing.

Ekramul Haque, president of Fulgazi unit of the Awami League, was killed in a brazen daylight attack at Feni Sadar on May 20. Assailants blocked his car, opened fire on the vehicle and set it ablaze with the chairman trapped inside.So far 22 people have been arrested on charges of their involvement in the murder.

Police arrested a leader of a BNP affiliate, the Tanti Dal (Weavers Party), Mahtabuddin Ahmed Chowdhury Minar, as an accused in the murder case filed by Ekram’s brother, from Dhaka on Tuesday.

Fulgazi Awami League general secretary Jahidul Chowdury Jihad, the alleged mastermind, was arrested from Barahipur on Sunday.

He is now on police remand.

The elite Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) on Saturday arrested eight people over the murder including prime suspect Abidul Islam Abid, a cousin of Feni-2 MP Nizam Uddin Hazari, in Dhaka.

Awami League leader Abdullahil Mahmud Shiblu, councillor of Ward-5 where the chairman was killed, later surrendered to police in Feni.

Feni police chief Abul Kalam Azad said they had been informed about the arrest.

The process to bring Patwari to Feni has started, he said.

There is also some talk of Awami League lawmaker Nizam Uddin Hazari being involved in the murder.

About a month before the murder, Nizam, who is also the district Awami League general secretary, had told some of his associates that Ekram deserved a slapping for his arrogance.

Talking to newsmen, Forkan Chowdhury, treasurer of the district Awami League, said: “Nizam was not involved in the murder but it might have been in his knowledge that Ekram would be assaulted for his insolent attitude.

“The lawmaker told us that he would teach Ekram a good lesson to keep a tight rein on him.” Even family members of Ekram dropped quite a few hints about Nizam’s involvement.

Rezaul Haque Jashim, elder brother of Ekram and plaintiff in the murder case, said Ekram was Nizam’s close aide and they used to deal with almost all political issues in the district together.

Abid, one of the prime accused in the case, in his confessional statement to the court said: “Soon after the murder I informed Nizam and district Awami League joint secretary Jahangir Adel on mobile phone about the incident.” A source in the district unit of the ruling party said Abid had given a statement to the court at Nizam’s bidding.

According to Nizam’s suggestion, Abid gave the statement just a day after he was taken into police remand for eight-days. It is also being rumoured that councillor Shiblu surrendered to police on Nizam’s instruction after the former met the latter at his residence soon after the media ran a report on Shiblu’s involvement in the murder.

Moreover, investigators found evidence of Nizam’s complicity from his phone record. Nizam contacted the killers over his cell phone several times before and after the killing.

According to investigators, Nizam contacted councillor Abdullah Mahmud Shiblu, district Awami League joint secretary Jahangir Kabir Adel and Jubo League leader Jiaul Alam Mister just a day before and on the day of killing. Jihad Chowdury, the man who planned the killing also talked to Nizam over phone to ask for his help.

Sources in the Awami League said although Nizam and Ekram had been on good terms, the relationship began to get soured last year soon after Ekram took control of Feni’s diabetic hospital.

It even took a turn for the worse when Ekram announced that he was to run in the national election from Feni-1 challenging Nizam’s authority in the district.