Narsingdi ‘Shootout’
Mugged businessman remains a mystery
Rab reveals his name, cell number; mobile found to be switched off; rights chief plans to probe death of six
Law enforcers remain clueless about the whereabouts of the businessman who tipped off Rab about the six alleged muggers who were killed in a “shootout” with the elite force in Narsingdi on April 2.
Maj Khandker Golam Sarwar, deputy director of Rab-11, disclosed the name of the businessmen to journalists at his office in Narsingdi.
He said businessman Maruf Hossain made a call from a cell phone and told Rab that muggers snatched Tk 40,000 from him in Shalikha area. The elite force conducted the raid on the basis of Maruf’s tip off. But Maruf could not be traced or reached over the cell phone since then.
Maruf’s mobile phone was found switched off yesterday.
Md Asaduzzaman, officer-in-charge of Narsingdi Sadar Police Station, said Maruf had also called police from the same cell phone number and said he had been robbed of Tk 40,000.
When police asked him to register a general diary, he didn’t agree. Police were yet to trace him, said the OC.
Six alleged snatchers were killed and three others injured in a “shootout” with Rab as they tried to flee by a microbus after mugging the businessman on Narsingdi-Madanganj road, about 50 kilometres northeast of the capital, Rab said on Monday.
Meanwhile, National Human Rights Commission Chief Dr Mizanur Rahman told a workshop in the capital that if the members agree, the commission would probe the deaths of the six men.
He said any extrajudicial killing is unacceptable in a democratic and civilized society, and is a threat to justice and the rule of law.
“We thought that the incidents of extrajudicial killings had decreased. We are worried once again following two such incidents recently.”
On Tuesday, family members of the deceased claimed that the six men shot dead in the “shootout” were not muggers.
-With The Daily Star input
