The murder of Sramik Dal Party leader Abdul Mannan (40) occurred last Thursday in Sharafbhata union, Rangunia, Chattogram, while he was returning home on a motorcycle.
Even after 48 hours, no case has been filed, and police have yet to arrest anyone in connection with the murder, leaving the family of the deceased Mannan both angered and panicked in the aftermath.
Police claim that the process of filing the case is ongoing and that detective surveillance has been increased in Rangunia since the incident. However, police have not been able to provide any insight into the motive behind the murder.
Angered by the lack of arrests since the murder, Mannan’s elder brother Abdul Hakim said, “My brother had no enemies. My brother has gone to the grave, but the killers are still roaming free. We are currently filing the case.”
Meanwhile, in two other murder incidents in Chattogram on Thursday night, RAB-7 and police have arrested five people. Among these, two people have been arrested for the murder of Abdullah Al Masud (32), who was called out from his house at night in Fatikchhari. In the murder of servicing businessman Akash Ghosh (26) in Chattogram city, RAB-7 has arrested two and police have arrested one person.
Police said that in the Masud murder case, the victim’s brother Abdullah Al Rashed filed a case as the plaintiff at Fatikchhari Police Station on Thursday night. The case names Md Osman (27) and Md Afaz Uddin (31) as accused, along with four or five other unidentified individuals. Police have arrested Osman and Afaz.
Nur Ahmad, the Officer-in-Charge of Fatikchhari Police Station, said, “The victim’s younger brother has filed the case as the plaintiff. We have arrested two people. Efforts are ongoing to arrest the other accused. The autopsy process is also underway.”
However, in the murder case of businessman Akash Ghosh (26) in Chattogram city’s Enayetbazar area over a dispute regarding owed money, RAB-7 arrested the main accused Md Sani and his two associates Md Yusuf and Shakil Alam Faisal within just 16 hours.
RAB informed that Md Sani (24) was arrested in a raid in the Roushanhat area of Chandanaish Upazila. Later, based on his information, associates Yusuf (35) and Shakil Alom Faisal (26) were arrested from the Chaitannya Goli area on Reaz Uddin Road under Kotwali Police Station.
OC Abdul Karim said, “A case has been filed in the Akash Ghosh murder case. Three people involved in the incident have been arrested. The operation to arrest the other accused is ongoing.”
Sabir Mohammad Selim, the officer-in-charge of South Rangunia Police Station, said, “The case filing process is ongoing. Detective surveillance has been increased since the incident. Those involved in this incident will be brought under the law soon.”
After the recent incidents of violence in Rauzan, concern and panic have also spread to neighbouring Rangunia. Locals claim that the impact of recent killings, political tensions, and repeated clashes in Rauzan has spread to Rangunia.
The murder of Abdul Mannan, along with the activity of drug and extortion rings in the area, have made people more apprehensive as a result.
Multiple law enforcement sources say they have increased surveillance and operations; however, according to locals, unless swift justice for major crimes and visible police patrols are increased, it will be difficult to dispel the panic.
Additional Police Superintendent of Chattogram (Rangunia Circle) Belaet Hossain said, “We are investigating the recent incidents in Rauzan and Rangunia with utmost importance. Significant progress has been made in identifying those involved in the murders. There is no reason for locals to panic—we have deployed additional forces across the area, and patrols and checkpoints have been strengthened.”
Since 5 August last year, political violence in Rauzan has led to a total of 17 murder incidents, with one occurring in Rangunia. Among these, 160 people have been named as accused across 13 cases of considered to be politically motivated murders.
Police claim that over 60 have been arrested. However, the families of the murder victims have countered by saying that none of the armed individuals or the main accused have been arrested.
When asked, Additional District Police Superintendent of Chattogram (Media) Md Russell said, “Police have already arrested many people, including with weapons. Operations are ongoing to arrest the remaining ones.”
With regards to the cause behind the spate of violence, he added, “The murder incidents are happening due to internal feuds and dominance struggles. It is difficult to prevent this without political goodwill.”
