This is what happens when we have read or seen too many books about secret plots by unknown espionage agencies eliminating people, in possession of some unpleasant facts.
The death of a young man, formerly an officer in one of the defense forces, has triggered an avalanche of theories.
Some of these may even make John Le Carre and Len Deighton plots appear infantile.
As the days have passed since the body of the unfortunate young man was discovered floating on a river just at the outskirts of the city, too many theories have been posted on social media.
Most link the deceased with the revelation of a recorded clip on Aug 5 2024, about the departure of the head of an ousted government.
Initially, just after the dead body of the man was found with his expensive phone in his pocket and the watch on his wrist, the matter of his alleged involvement in recording the final moments of a deposed head of state in the face of a nationwide uprising, was exploited to generate, what in media we know as sensationalism.
The effort to link the two was obvious whereas common sense states that there is no reason to kill someone two years after the fall of the AL regime when the country is firmly on a democratic path with an elected government in power.
It’s just a video of a government leaving the country in a hurry after it became estranged from the nation – just as simple as that.
The idea that someone has to be killed for that, even if we accept that he was involved in the recording, appears preposterous.
In reality, the deceased had stated unequivocally in several talk shows that he was not the person who recorded it.
Anyway, Bangladesh is now on a totally new trajectory and bringing back a video which has very little significance is like flogging a dead horse.
The point remains, a young man has died in what we can say with some degree of certainty amidst rather murky circumstances.
There are several facts in the whole matter, which indicate that common crime was perhaps not the motivation, otherwise, the phone and the watch would have been taken.
At this moment, the police have found that on the night of the killing, the deceased and his young friend went to a bar, there was a lady with them and afterwards, the two friends went to an area which, late at night, can become rather dodgy.
The friend is also in remand, reportedly because his statements showed inconsistencies.
During several rounds of questioning, the friend reportedly gave contradictory narratives, veering away from the initial statement that after dinner, the buddies separated, each going his way to their respective homes.
One feels that the truth will soon come out after the remand period and the facts may be rather unsavoury.
Honestly speaking, from day one, since the body was found, every new discovery and CCTV footage appear to point to something sordid.
As per available reports, the deceased was retired from the defense service allegedly due to ‘disciplinary’ issues.
The single word ‘disciplinary’ can mean a wide range of transgressions from breach of service rules to moral aberrations to behavior termed deviant.
Perhaps, in understanding the case, a look into the reason for the early retirement is essential.
Form the CCTV footage of sports bikes, recovered gadgets, hanging out at a swanky bar, one can extrapolate that all three persons under the spotlight led a life very exuberant lifestyle typical of a metropolitan yuppie.
Not being judgmental here but a deeper dive into the ethos of that lifestyle may provide clues as to the reason for the sudden death.
The deceased and his alleged link to the recording of Aug 5 appears more like a red herring or a deliberate attempt to put a ‘tin foil hat’ on the mater.
A young person is dead, the conditions surrounding his demise do not indicate to a natural end and, therefore, an investigation is a must.
Also essential is to look for a potential drug related dimension, which I am sure the police has already done.
The two friends in their bikes were seen on CCTV footage at an area ‘Tongi Mazar slum’ and while their presence at a restaurant or a bar can easily be accepted, roaming in an area, which is incongruous to their social status, indicates to something not yet unearthed.
There is something fishy still unknown, either mundane or the macabre, which led to his death, and that has to come out.
One question bothers though: when we finally get the truth, will the facts be a stark testimony to the presence of a depraved social inner layer engulfing the young?
Towheed Feroze is Current Affairs Editor, Times of Bangladesh
