AL protests police 'manipulation' in investigation

AL leaders claimed that police are following "ruling party prescription" in the investigation to blame AL for the murder and to save the killers.

Hundreds of AL activists put up a demonstration in front of Abdulpur Police Investigation Center and on the premises of Lalpur upazila office on Saturday chanting slogans against police.

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They protested what they called a false confessional statement recorded by police from one of the arrested persons to implicate an AL leader and industrialist Anisur Tahman in the murder.

Natore AL at a press conference on the same day claimed that CID police arrested one Babu, son of Ismail Hossain of Krisnarampur village and extracted from him a false statement implicating AL leader and industrialist Anisur Rahman in the murder.

They claimed that police did not arrest the killer whose name is also Babu, son of Abdul Khaleq of Bahadurpur village.

Police are following "ruling party prescription" and "producing fabricated statements" to prove that the murder was the outcome of feud in AL, they said at the press conference held at Natore Bar Bhaban.

The AL leaders rejected the confessional statement of Babu (son of Ismail Hossain).

"CID Police recorded the statement of Babu (son of Islamil Hossain) within 24 hours of his arrest, but they are yet to record any statement of Arif who was arrested on June 7, a day after the killing. Is it not it a drama?" Natore AL General Secretary Hanif Ali Sheikh said replying to a question.

Hanif read out a written statement at the press conference. Natore AL President Advocate Sajedur Rahman Khan, Organising Secretary and slain Mamtaz Uddin's brother Advocate Abul Kalam Azad were present, among others.

They also named six witnesses to the murder. They are Alam, son of Ahsan Ali of Saipara; Moti, son of Badol; Babu, son of Abdul Khaleq; Shamim and Sujon, sons of Shahidul of Bahadurpur; and Aslam, son of Ayub Ali of Madhubari villages in Lalpur, the AL leaders said.

They also claimed that some important telephone numbers were erased from the mobile phone recovered from Arif with a motive to save the killer.

Ismail Hossain's son Babu, arrested on June 12, in his confessional statement before First Class Magistrate Dhirendranath Sarkar on June 13 said AL leader Anisur Rahman was involved in the murder of Momtaj Uddin.

Babu also told the court that the killers were hired with Tk two lakh and the money was handed over to the leader of the killing squad--Alam--on June 4.