Who killed them and why?

Contrary to the police claims, morgue sources who conducted autopsies of the bodies of three youths killed in Mirpur found no signs of mob beating, raising serious questions about the motive behind their murders.

It is also not clear who killed them, but police are sticking to their story that a mob shot them after catching them while they were preparing to throw petrol bombs on public transports.

Prof Mizanur Rahman, chairman of the National Human Rights Committee, questioned the police version.

"If it were an incident of mob beating, why would I have to shoot them to death? ... so, your [police] version doesn't really add up. By saying all these, you [police] are making your role even more questionable," he told a TV channel yesterday.

The bodies of the three teens bore 57 bullet wounds, morgue sources said. 

They were identified yesterday as Robin, 15, Sumon, 17, and Jewel, 15. They used to live at Mirpur's Adarshanagar.

Robin and Sumon were identified by their families at Dhaka Medical College morgue. Jewel, who had no relatives in the city, was identified by locals.

The three worked as part-time helpers of human hauliers but would sometimes attend programmes of various political parties, including the Awami League, according to their friends.

How they were caught also remains unclear. Locals have seen them being held by six to seven people, but it was not a mob.

And even if it were a mob, how they got firearms is also a big question.

The three along with their friend Rony would sometimes spend five to six hours a day at a video games shop at Adarshanagar, said locals.

Locals at Mirpur's Baishbari, where they were killed around 10:00 on Sunday night, said they heard only gunshots coming from an alley but did not see or hear any chases at the time. They saw pools of blood, bullet cases and bloody ropes in the alley the next morning.

According to the police inquest reports, the body of Robin bore 22 bullet wounds, the body of Sumon 19, and the body of Jewel 16.

Meantime, police have changed the location from where the three were caught.

Nisharul Arif, deputy commissioner (Mirpur division) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police, told this paper yesterday that locals caught them from Manipur High School and College on Rokeya Sarani at Shewrapara on Sunday night.

His version contradicts the inquest report prepared by Sub-inspector Masud Parvez of Mirpur Police Station.

In the report, Masud, also investigating officer of the case, claimed locals caught the three near the Krishibid Bhaban on Rokeya Sarani at Kazipara.

The Manipur school is about 200 yards from the Krishibid Bhaban.

Police claimed they had recovered two litres of petrol, two firebombs and three crude bombs from the spot.

DC Nisharul said police were investigating the incident and that they already collected the names of those who had sent the three with petrol bombs.

Halima Begum, grandmother of Robin, said, "So many bullet holes in the bodies. Who could do such a heinous crime?"

She said Robin had gone out of home on Sunday morning without having any food. Usually he would return home for lunch, but he did not do so that day, she added.

Later in the evening, his friend Rony told her that Robin went to Sylhet with some friends.

Sumon's mother Jotsna, who works as a domestic help in the area, said she went out of home in the morning when she last saw her son. Later, she saw the news of three youths being killed on TV.

Jotsna said her son was innocent.

"He was not in politics. I raised him amid hardship. Why did he have to die in this way?" she asked.