Rifat Murder: One more accused held,remanded

A Barguna court yesterday placed a man on a seven-day remand in police custody for his alleged connection with the murder of Rifat Sharif in the district.

The accused is Rabbi Akon, 24, son of Abul Kalam Azad of Kawrabunia village in Barguna’s Sadar upazila.

Senior Judicial Magistrate Sirajul Islam Gazi passed the order after police placed Rabbi before the court with a 10-day remand plea.

Humayun Kabir, investigation officer of Rifat murder case, said Rabbi was arrested on Thursday night.

Humayun, however, denied to answer any other query about Rabbi’s arrest.

Meanwhile, the same court ordered a three-day fresh remand for Saimon, another accused in the case, for the fourth time after police placed him before the court with a five-day remand plea, the IO said.

So far police arrested a total of 14 people in connection with the murder, the IO said, adding that seven of them were named in the first information report of the case.

The prime accused of the murder, Nayon Bond, was killed in a “gunfight” with police on July 2. Five accused were on remand in police custody, the IO said.

On June 26, Nayan and Farazi, along with some others, attacked 25-year-old Rifat Sharif with sharp weapons in front of Barguna Government College when Rifat and his wife Ayesha were leaving the college premises.

Rifat was first taken to Barguna General Hospital and later to Barishal Sher-E-Bangla Medical College Hospital where he died around 3:30pm.

Rifat’s father Abdul Halim Dulal Sharif filed a case with Barguna Police Station on the same day accusing 12.