7-murder: 22 sent to jail

A Narayanganj court today sent 22 accused, including three former Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) officials, to jail in connection with gruesome seven-murder cases.

Senior Judicial Magistrate HM Shafiqul Islam passed the order following their regular appearances before it, reports our Narayanganj correspondent.

The court also ordered authorities concerned to seize the property of five fugitives. Though properties of eight others were confiscated, those of the five could not be done as their addresses could not be traced out.

Meanwhile, a team of lawyers’ platform, Dhaka Ainjibi Somiti today prayed to a Narayanganj court to defend the accused Rapid Action Battalion member Lt Col (sacked) Tareque Sayeed Mohammad in the sensational seven-murder cases.

Led by bar member advocate Sarwar Mia, the five-member delegation includes: advocate Azizul Haque Bhuiyan, advocate Abdus Salam, advocate ASM Delwar Hossain and advocate Mousumi.

Citing it “as the legal right” for the accused Rab official, they said they will pray for bail of Tareque in the next hearing, scheduled to be held on October 7.

The lawyers alleged that no lawyer could defend Tareque due to influence from the local bar council.

Refuting the allegation, prosecutor advocate Shakhawat Hossain said the local lawyers’ association did not interfere any lawyers to defend the accused.

“The defence is trying to move the cases from Narayanganj to elsewhere in a bid to get privileges,” he said, questioning police roles in seizing the properties of five fugitives.

Earlier on April 8, detectives submitted the charge sheet of the seven-murder case against 35 naming local Awami League leader Nur Hossain as the prime accused.

The 35 include 25 members of Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) including ex-top officials Tareque Sayeed Mohammad, Arif Hossain and SM Masud Rana.

In April last year, seven people including Narayanganj city panel mayor Nazrul Islam and senior lawyer Chandan Sarker were abducted. Their bodies were later found floating on the Shitalakkhya river.

Nazrul's father-in-law Shahidul Islam alleged that Rab personnel abducted and killed Nazrul in exchange for Tk 6 crore from a local ward councillor Nur Hossain.

Three former Rab officials, Tareque, in-law of a minister, Arif and Rana confessed their involvement in the killing.