Rifat killing: Cops release 4 suspects hours after detention

Four youths who were detained from Barishal city last night for their suspected involvement in the gruesome killing of Barguna youth Rifat Sharif were released from police custody early today.

“We detained four youths from ‘Manami’ launch at Barishal lunch terminal last night on suspicion, but later they were released as we did not find their involvement in the murder,” said Moazzem Hossain Bhuiyan, deputy commissioner of Barishal Metropolitan Police (BMP).

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The four youths were handed over to their families around 1:30am, our Barishal correspondent reports quoting the police official.   

A team of police arrested the youths from ‘Manami’ launch while it was heading to the capital Dhaka around 8:30pm last night.

Earlier yesterday, police arrested three people in connection with a case filed over the brutal murder of Rifat Sharif in front of his wife in broad daylight in Barguna town on Wednesday. The arrestees were identified as Chandan, Hasan and Nazmul Hasan.

The case was filed against 12 people including the three arrestees with Barguna Sadar Police Station on the same day the incident took place.

Around 10:30am on Wednesday, Nayan and Farajee attacked 25-year-old Rifat, an internet service provider, with sharp weapons in front of Barguna Government College when Rifat and his wife Ayesha were leaving the college premises.

A video clip of the barbaric attack, probably captured on a mobile phone, went viral on social media, triggering public outrage with many condemning the bystanders for not coming forward to save Rifat. Ayesha alone desperately tried to save her husband from the attackers but in vain.

The clip showed that the two assailants were hacking Rifat indiscriminately with sharp weapons as Ayesha was trying to hold back one of the attackers.

Fatally injured Rifat was taken to Barishal Sher-E-Bangla Medical College Hospital (BSMCH) where doctors declared him dead at 3:30pm.

The doctors found at least eight stab marks in different parts of his body.