Claim: A photograph circulating on social media depicts Mozammel Hossain Fahad, an accused suspect in the murder of Ishayat Shahriar Apratim, who was allegedly killed in planned retaliation for a past anti-narcotics drive.
Verdict: FALSE. A TIMES investigation revealed that the individual pictured in the photograph is not the murder suspect Fahad, but an unrelated youth named Mahibur Rahman Mahim. Promoting Mahim’s photograph as accused Fahad is entirely incorrect.
Context & murder investigation
A photograph has been widely shared on social media claiming to show Mozammel Hossain Fahad, an accused in the murder case of Ishayat Shahriar Apratim – the only son of Comilla University (CoU) Associate Professor Dr Nahida Begum.
Police have arrested four suspects in connection with the Apratim murder case – Saiful Islam Tuhin, Mozammel Hossain Fahad, Kamrul Hasan, and Siam.
Three of the arrested suspects have already recorded confessional statements in court under Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.
According to law enforcement officials, Apratim was killed over the snatching of an iPhone, and the suspects were identified and apprehended through CCTV footage and other investigative findings.
Anti-narcotics drive narrative
Following the murder, public attention turned to an anti-narcotics operation conducted when Apratim’s mother, Dr Nahida Begum, was serving as acting proctor.
On 6 February last year, a proctorial team drive resulted in the detention of seven teenagers, including Mahim, alongside narcotics; they were subsequently handed over to their guardians after signing a written bond.
Social media posts accompanying the circulating photograph claimed that Apratim was murdered in a planned manner as revenge for that proctorial drive.
Identity verification & findings
However, the investigation confirmed that the person in the photograph bears no identity match with accused Fahad. The youth pictured in the image has been identified as Mahibur Rahman Mahim, a resident of the Gabtoli-Babystand area in Cumilla.
Speaking at his residence, Mahim clarified his identity and denied any connection to the crime, “That day, ma’am along with several others caught us. Later, they released us after taking a bond from us. I hadn’t even taken my SSC exams then. That news is circulating again using my photo. The boy in the picture is me. Not any Fahim or Fahad. Even with those accused – Tuhin, Fahad, Siam – I have no contact whatsoever.”
Conclusion
Promoting Mahibur Rahman Mahim’s photograph as the murder suspect Mozammel Hossain Fahad is entirely false and misleading.
