Amanullah, a key accused in the Anwarul Azim Anar abduction case, had confessed before a Dhaka court that he was in charge of the men who took part in killing the Jheniadah lawmaker.

Aktaruzzaman, a Bangladesh-born US citizen, gave him the contract to kill Azim, Amanullah said in his confessional statement yesterday.

Read more

MP Azim Murder: Celesty posed as mastermind’s wife to rent flat

Aktaruzzaman, known in his hometown Jheniadah as Shaheen Mia, and Azim used to syphon money out of the country through hundi and were involved in gold smuggling, said Amanullah.

After the two had a disagreement over the illegal racket, Aktaruzzaman met Amanullah and told him to kill Azim.

After the killing at a flat in New Town, Kolkata, Amanullah returned home on May 15, according to sources at the court and the Detective Branch (DB) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police.

After recording his statement, the court sent him to jail.

Amanullah, who goes by the alias Shimul Bhuiyan, was in charge of controlling the activities of Purbo Banglar Communist Party (PBCP) in Khulna, Jhenidah, and Jashore.

Azim was also involved with the PBCP, and as Amanullah and Azim had a dispute over PBCP factions, the former readily agreed to kill the lawmaker.

As per Amanullah's statement, the accused tried to kill Azim on two occasions in January and March this year, but failed.

On April 25, Aktaruzzaman rented the New Town flat where Amanullah and Celesty met the other accused five days later to make a plan. Aktaruzzaman returned to Bangladesh on May 10.

As per the direction of Aktaruzzaman and Amanullah, the other accused took Azim to the flat, saying that they would discuss and settle the business matters.

Amanullah with the help of the other accused then killed the lawmaker there.

The accused dismembered the body and flushed part of it down the toilet. Some remains were put in a trunk which was discarded in the Krisna Mati area of Kolkata.

Accused Faisal, Mustafiz, and Jihad Howlader were directly involved in the killing, Amanullah said in the statement, adding that accused Jihad and Siam, arrested in Nepal, were involved in getting rid of the remains.

Jihad Howlader, who is in custody of West Bengal CID, was placed on a fresh two-day remand after the end of a 12-day one.

Meanwhile, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan yesterday said until the DNA verification was done, law enforcers would not be able to tell for sure that they found Azim's remains.

"We have come to know from the arrestees that he was killed. Investigations and interrogations are underway in the two countries. Both countries will reach a decision," he added.