23 chargesheeted after five years

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of police recently submitted the charge sheet in the court of Magistrate Ashraful Islam in Gaibandha.

Police, meanwhile, arrested six persons. But the main accused, Shah Alam, is still absconding.

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Borhan Walid Lupu, 22, a student of Rajshahi University (RU), was murdered allegedly by his business partner Shah Alam and his accomplices on the night of September 26, 1996.

The body was recovered from a marshy land at village Ekbarpur under Saduallapur upazila.

Sadullapur thana police had initiated investigation into the murder, but they could not make any headway.

The case was transferred to the Detective Branch (DB) and then to CID.

Amullah Chandra Das, assistant police super (ASP) of Rangpur CID, said in the charge sheet that Lupu of village Dhaperhat under Sadullapur upazila and accused Shaha Alam Fulku of Masterpara under Palashbari upazila were partners for nine years in a brick-field business. A dispute started as Shaha Alam misappropriated Tk 20 lakh and started separate business.

Lupu was killed on the night when a settlement of their accounts was scheduled to be made.

The killing sparked protests by local people, who brought out processions, held meetings and submitted memos to the deputy commissioner (DC), the police superintendent (SP) and the upazila nirbahi officer (UNO) demanding culprits' arrest.