Veteran photo-journalist Aftab Ahmed was allegedly strangled to death on Tuesday night at his residence at West Rampura area in the capital. Police suspect that Aftab might have been killed by some miscreants. Kripa Bala Sindhu, officer-in-charge of Rampura Police Station, said, “A family member of Aftab informed the police about the matter and we rushed to his house around 9am.”
“When we recovered his body, his house was in complete disarray. We can’t, however, confirm whether anything is missing from his flat or not. We suspect that someone has strangled Aftab to death,’’ he added.
Aftab was living alone in the house while his son Monowar Ahmed lives in Jessore and his daughter Afroza Ahmed lives in Gazipur with her husband Faruk Ahmed. His driver Kabir went on hiding after the incident.
Deputy commissioner (Motijheel Division) of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police Ashrafuzzaman said, “A preliminary investigation suggests that the murderer might be known to the victim.”
Quoting eyewitnesses, police sources said Aftab’s domestic help Hasna went to Aftab’s house on Wednesday morning and pressed the calling bell. When she did not get any answer, she informed the neighbours. The neighbours, in turn, informed Aftab’s son-in-law Faruk and his daughter Afroza. They immediately informed the police, who along with the RAB and intelligence agencies, rushed to the spot. The victim’s body was sent to the Dhaka Medical College Hospital for post-mortem.
The police have held Hasna for interrogation.
“I was supposed to go to Chennai, India, on December 25 with my father-in-law for his treatment. He had been suffering from heart ailment,” said Faruk.
Kabir, who was recruited earlier this month, might have killed Aftab for the money that he had arranged for treatment, Faruk added.
No case has been lodged till the filing of this report around 5:15pm on Wednesday.
Aftab was awarded prestigious Ekushy Award in 2006 and he had been working in Bengali daily Ittefaq since 1962. He was 78 and was born in Gongachora of Rangpur district on December 23, 1935. He was a renowned photographer and took numerous historical pictures of Bangabandhu Sheik Mujibur Rahman. His historic photo of Basonti in 1974, a daughter of fisherman in remote area of Kurigram district, drew sharp criticism from the then Awami League government. He wrote many books, including Shadinota Songrame Banglaee, Banglar Mukti Sangram: Sirajdoula theke Sheikh Mujib, Amra Tumader Bholbona.
-With The Independent input
