Rifat murder: 2 accused give confessional statements

Two of the accused in Rifat Sharif murder case gave confessional statements to a Barguna court today.

Md Sirajul Islam Gazi, senior judicial magistrate for Barguna, recorded the confessional statements from Oli and Tanvir after they were produced before his court this afternoon, said Md Humayun Kabir, investigation officer (IO) of the case.

Later, the court ordered to send both Oli and Tanvir to jail.

Read more

‘Tried a lot to save him, but failed’

The court today also placed three other accused in the case -- Najmul Ahsan, Sagor and Saimun -- on 5-day remand each after the IO produced them before the court with a 5-day remand prayer, reports our local correspondent quoting the police official.

Of them, Najmul was earlier placed on three-day remand. Today he was produced before the court upon completion of his remand along with prayer for more five-day remand for him, the IO said.

After hearing the remand prayers, the court delivered the order around 6.30pm.

Among the accused, Oli was named in the FIR while Tanvir was identified in the video footage of the brutal murder incident that went viral in social media, the police official also said.

Around 10:30am on Wednesday, Nayan and Rifat Farajee, along with some others, attacked 25-year-old Rifat Sharif, an internet service provider, with sharp weapons in front of Barguna Government College in front of his wife.

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. His wife Ayesha alone desperately tried to save her husband from the attackers but in vain.

The clip showed that 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.

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

A case was filed against 12 people with Barguna Sadar Police Station on the same day the incident took place.

A total of eight people has so far been arrested in the case filed over the murder.