Police have reportedly found preliminary evidence of Ahmed Shahriar Reza Dip’s involvement in the alleged murder of his friend and former airman KM Tahsif Souri.
Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Md Hasib Ullah Pias yesterday placed Dip on a four-day remand in a case over Tahsif’s death after police produced Dip before the court, said Additional Public Prosecutor Muhammad Shamsud Doha Sumon.
Police had sought seven days in a remand petition, which cited the preliminary findings.
“We have found preliminary evidence of Dip’s involvement in Tahsif Souri’s death. We will question him in greater detail during remand. We cannot disclose anything further at this stage in the interest of the investigation,” Abdullah Al Mamun, superintendent of police (Dhaka region) of the River Police, told The Daily Star.
A police official involved in the investigation, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said CCTV footage collected from different locations showed Dip accompanying Tahsif between 6:30pm and 1:30am.
Investigators also found that Dip had accompanied Tahsif to the Mazar Basti area in Tongi but returned alone, the official said.
“This has raised questions among the investigators,” the official added, saying information from preliminary questioning also pointed to Dip’s involvement.
The Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) picked up Dip from his residence on Babar Road in Mohammadpur late Thursday night. He was shown arrested after Tahsif’s father, KM Enayetul Karim, filed the case against unidentified people with Uttarkhan Police Station late Friday night.
Although registered as a murder case, the father’s written complaint did not directly allege murder. He asked the authorities to establish the actual cause of his son’s death and take necessary action.
Tahsif, 28, left his Uttara residence on Tuesday evening and went missing. His body was recovered from the Turag river near Rajabari Ghat in Tongi the following afternoon.
‘CONFLICTING STATEMENTS’
Speaking to reporters at his Uttara residence yesterday, Enayetul said he did not know who was responsible for his son’s death and wanted a fair investigation.
Dip frequently visited the family’s home and was in regular contact with Tahsif, he said.
“Dip admitted during the PBI investigation that they had gone to Tongi. But Dip had told me that he had dropped Tahsif off at the compound [where Tahsif lived]. This raises questions. I do not know who was involved or who did what,” he said.
Describing his son as someone who got along with everyone and readily helped others in trouble, he said the family was struggling to come to terms with the death.
“We cannot accept such an incident involving a son like him. We hope the actual truth will come out,” he said, urging the authorities to investigate thoroughly and bring those responsible to justice.
CALL FOR THOROUGH PROBE
Meanwhile, the Retired Armed Forces Officers’ Welfare Association (RAOWA) has called for a thorough investigation into the circumstances of Tahsif’s death.
A delegation led by its Joint Secretary Lt Col (retd) Abu Nawroz Khurshid Alam visited the family in Uttara yesterday. He said Tahsif’s father had told them that several law enforcement agencies were investigating, including by examining eyewitness accounts and CCTV footage.
“We hope they will uncover the actual truth very soon and take appropriate measures,” he said.
Major (retd) Al Amin, another delegation member, said RAOWA would continue monitoring the investigation. “We will not let this matter go. We want a thorough investigation and justice for those found responsible,” he said.
The Human Rights Support Society (HRSS) also demanded an independent, impartial and transparent investigation, citing several unanswered questions. In a statement signed by its Executive Director Ijazul Islam, it said inconsistencies in statements by those concerned and information emerging after the death warranted an impartial probe rather than speculation.
The statement said an account by a person in custody, referring to a chase by several people in police uniforms, differed from the police explanation. It also raised questions about Tahsif’s identification, injury marks on his body and the post-mortem report, and called for an investigation into the family’s allegation that he had earlier been under intelligence agency surveillance.
Source: www.thedailystar.net
