MP Azim Murder: ‘Celesty was supposed to receive Azim at Kolkata flat’

Celesty Rahman, a friend of Aktaruzzaman, alleged mastermind of the murder of Jhenaidah-4 MP Anawarul Azim Anar, was responsible for receiving the lawmaker at a flat in Kolkata's New Town on May 13.

She was given the responsibility as part of the killing plan, said the Wari division of the Detective Branch of Dhaka Metropolitan Police in its second investigation report submitted to a Dhaka court on Friday.

Celesty is now in DB custody.

Amanullah alias Shimul Bhuiyan, who was tasked with carrying out the killing mission, and his associate Foysal received Azim in Kolkata and took him to the flat at Sanjeeva Gardens of New Town where he was killed on May 13, according to the investigators.

According to a police source, Aktaruzzaman was a friend and business partner of Azim.

"Aktaruzzaman had invited the lawmaker to a business meeting in the Kolkata flat over a video call, during which Celesty Rahman waved to the MP. Aktaruzzaman later returned to Bangladesh on May 10 without informing the lawmaker that he was leaving Kolkata," said the police source, citing the second investigation report.

Azim went to Kolkata on May 12 and spent the night at his friend's home. He went out the next day, saying he would visit a doctor.

On May 22, India and Bangladesh police said the MP was murdered at the New Town flat.

Investigators also said that they recovered body parts, suspected to be those of the slain lawmaker, from the septic tank of the flat based on the information provided by Celesty.

During interrogation, Celesty told investigators that she heard the sound of a toilet being flushed repeatedly on the second floor of the duplex flat. Based on that information, detectives asked the Kolkata CID to conduct a search in the sewerage line and septic tank of the flat.

Four people have so far been arrested in connection with the murder.

Jihad Howlader, a butcher who dismembered the lawmaker's body and dumped its parts later, is in custody of the West Bengal CID.

Amanullah, his nephew Tanvir Bhuiyan, and Celesty are in custody of the Detective Branch of DMP.

Aktaruzzaman, the alleged mastermind behind the murder, is believed to be in the USA. Another suspect, Foysal, is absconding.

Suspect Siam Hossain, who along with Jihad dumped the lawmaker's body, went to Nepal after the killing. He was arrested by police there.

Masud Alam, counselor at the Bangladesh embassy in Nepal, told The Daily Star, "Siam Hossain is in custody of Nepal police. An Interpol team, now in Nepal, is probing the murder."

He said further details about the investigation would be disclosed later.

POLICE TEAM IN NEPAL

A three-member team of Bangladesh Police, led by Harun Or Rashid, additional commissioner (DB) of DMP, went to Nepal yesterday to investigate the murder.

Speaking to reporters at the Dhaka airport, Harun said, "We have heard about Siam's arrest in Nepal. Some other suspects may be hiding in Nepal."

Earlier, a three-member DB team, led by Harun, went to Kolkata on May 26 to probe the murder. The team returned home on Thursday.

Meanwhile, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan yesterday said that the murder of Azim took place in India, which is why the case was filed there.

The Indian authorities will also investigate the murder, he added.

"The mastermind flew to the United States. India has an extradition treaty with the USA. So, the Indian government will appeal to them [USA]," the minister said in response to a question from a journalist after attending a programme at Dhaka University's Student-Teacher Centre.