MP Abdul Aziz's Son Mintu Placed on Three-Day Remand in Gurudaspur Chhatra Dal Leader Shakil Murder Case, No Lawyer Appeared for Him in Court

A court has placed Nuruzzaman Mintu, the eldest son of BNP MP Abdul Aziz of Natore-4 (Gurudaspur-Baraigram), on a three-day remand in the case over the murder of Shakil Islam, 32, member secretary of the Gurudaspur municipal Chhatra Dal in Natore. The judge passed the order when he was produced before the Gurudaspur cognizance court at about 5pm on Tuesday, 27 October.

Court police Inspector Asmaul Haque said the investigating officer of the case sought a 10-day remand for the accused. After the hearing, the court granted a three-day remand. He was then taken into the custody of the district Detective Branch (DB) of police for questioning.

Natore Judge Court lawyer Muktar Hossain told journalists, quoting the investigating officer, that no lawyer was present in court for the accused. The accused himself sought the court's permission to conduct the hearing. With permission, Mintu said he is not involved in the murder and that the police showed him arrested without verifying anything; he asked for a proper investigation.

During the hearing, the investigating officer said the murder is sensational. Because the accused is an influential person, no one is daring to testify against him. He told the court that a 10-day remand was needed to uncover the real mystery of the murder. After the hearing, the court granted a three-day remand.

Although he was a remand-granted accused in a murder case, the police did not handcuff Mintu when taking him out of the court. He was then taken into DB custody for further questioning about the killing. Nuruzzaman Mintu is a joint convener of the Gurudaspur upazila Jubo Dal.

District DB Officer-in-Charge (OC) Md Nazrul Islam said Gurudaspur police detained Mintu from a rented house near Gurudaspur bazaar at about 10pm on Monday. He was handed over to the DB at about midnight. After questioning, he was shown arrested on Tuesday on allegations of involvement in the murder and sent to court.

The deceased, Shakil Islam, was the son of Rabiul Karim of the Khamar Nachkoir Khoyarpara area of Gurudaspur municipality. On the night of 14 October, while returning from Chanchkoir bazaar, he was seriously injured by sharp weapons used by assailants. Local people rescued him and admitted him to the upazila health complex; from there he was taken to Rajshahi and later to Dhaka. He died while under treatment in hospital at about 8:30pm on Monday.

Police and party sources said that at about 9pm on 14 October, Shakil came under attack by helmeted armed assailants in the Chanchkoir Bazarpara area of Gurudaspur municipal town. Shots were fired at him; when the bullets missed, the assailants chased him and hacked him with sharp weapons in front of Dulal Sarkar's house before fleeing on a motorcycle. Eyewitness Suman Rahman said that after hearing two consecutive gunshots near Shahida Jalil School in Bazarpara, they moved forward and saw Shakil running, with two men chasing him on a motorcycle.

Gurudaspur Upazila Health Complex physician Nawshin Jahan said at the time that Shakil was brought to hospital in a serious condition, with sharp-weapon injuries on his hands, legs and various parts of his body; as his condition was bad, he was sent to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital after primary treatment. Jubo Dal leader Israfil Sheikh said Shakil was given at least five bags of blood in Rajshahi; when his condition deteriorated he was admitted to Dhaka Medical College Hospital, and after an operation, when he deteriorated further, he was taken to Bangladesh Medical University Hospital. There, as his kidneys were not working, he was kept under intensive observation and on life support, and doctors declared him dead at about 8:30pm on Monday.

Over the incident, Shakil's father Rabiul Karim filed a case at Gurudaspur police station on 19 October against unnamed persons. Mintu was shown arrested in that case. After the news of the death spread, MP Abdul Aziz was confined at the hospital under the leadership of the central Chhatra Dal president; there, leaders and activists demanded the arrest of Mintu and compensation of 20 lakh taka for the family of the deceased Shakil.

On Tuesday morning, MP Abdul Aziz went to offer condolences to Shakil's family. He said that if his son is involved in this unexpected murder, he will be made to stand trial. At that time, in the presence of the MP and the OC, Shakil's father Rabiul Karim said there had been extreme police negligence in arresting the accused since the incident, and local leaders and activists had shown no interest either. He alleged that although he mentioned names in the case statement, it was recorded as against unnamed persons.

Natore Additional Superintendent of Police Iftekhar Ahmed said several police teams are working to investigate this sensational murder. However influential the criminal may be, the police will not spare anyone, he said.

Family sources said Shakil's first janaza was held at 3pm on Tuesday in front of the BNP party office at Nayapaltan in the capital. A second janaza was scheduled after the Esha prayers at the Bilchalan Shahid Shamsuzzoha College field. After the janaza, he was to be buried at the Chanchkoir Puranpara central graveyard.