Faruk feared lawmaker Rana would kill him

The widow of freedom fighter Faruk Ahmed told a court yesterday that her husband used to tell her that MP Rana and his brothers might kill him.

MP Rana and his brothers killed Faruk as he was a secretary candidate of Tangail unit of Awami League, she told the court and identified the lawmaker and others accused in the case.

Faruk was shot dead on January 18, 2013.

The trial of the sensational Faruk Ahmed murder case began yesterday with the deposition of his widow Nahar Ahmed, who is the plaintiff of the case.

Judge Abul Mansur Miah of First Additional District and Sessions Judge's Court in Tangail recorded her statement.

The prime accused Amanur Rahman Khan Rana, Awami League lawmaker of Tangail, was taken to the court from the Keraniganj jail in Dhaka in an ambulance.

The court had framed charges against Rana and 13 others on September 6, 2017. But the recording of depositions was deferred on four occasions as Rana's lawyer said he could not be produced before the court due to his illness.

Charge framing was also deferred on six occasions on the same ground.

In her statement, Nahar told the court yesterday morning that her husband Faruk called her on the phone on the day of the incident and told her that he would return home from the district AL office shortly.

Soon afterwards, a local municipality councillor and several others went to her house and told her that Faruk's body was lying on a roadside not far from the house.

After they took the body to Tangail General Hospital, doctors declared him dead, she said.

Amanur Rahman Khan Rana and several others went to the hospital soon afterwards and told doctors to thoroughly examine the body.

After examining, the doctors found a bullet under the neck and said Faruk was shot dead. 

Nahar was later informed that the investigators found involvement of MP Rana and others accused of murdering her husband.

Her son and daughter Sumon Mazid and Farzana Ahmed were present at the court during yesterday's hearing, Additional Public Prosecutor Monirul Islam Khan told The Daily Star.

After Nahar's statement, defence lawyer Abdul Baki Miah cross-examined her.

MP Rana told the court that the security at the court was inadequate.

The court then adjourned and fixed March 20 for the next proceeding.

Although additional law enforcers were deployed at the court area on occasion of the hearing, supporters of Faruk Ahmed and MP Rana demonstrating nearby engaged in a chase and counter-chase, until police took the situation under control.

Four of the 14 accused, including Rana, are in jail while three are on bail and seven others, including three younger brothers of Rana, are on the run.