MP Azim Murder: Hitmen were never paid
The assailants who killed Jhenaidah-4 MP Anwarul Azim Anar were not paid the hefty sum they were promised by Aktaruzzaman, who hired them, investigators say.
Aktaruzzaman, known as Shaheen Mia in his hometown Jhenaidah, may have promised them Tk 5 crore or more for killing Azim, said an investigator, adding that the exact amount will be known after he is arrested.
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However, Aktaruzzaman, a Bangladesh born US citizen is believed to have fled to New York on May 18.
Requesting anonymity, an officer of a law enforcement agency said the assailants were operatives of the Purbo Banglar Communist Party (PBCP).
Even 24-year-old Jihad Hawladar, who dismembered the corpse, was an operative of the PBCP. He used to live illegally in Mumbai where he worked as a butcher.
Amanullah, who was in charge of the killing mission, was a PBCP leader, said the officer.
Aktaruzzaman gave them money to travel to Kolkata and stay there.
After they were done, the killers only had Rs 4.30 lakh they found on Azim, the officer said.
When the lawmaker, who used to run a gold-smuggling racket with Aktaruzzaman, reached India and went to his friend Gopal Biswas' house, he had Rs 10,000. Gopal then gave him Rs 4.20 lakh, the officer said, quoting Amanullah, who along with Celesty Rahman and Tanvir Bhuiyan, is on an eight-day remand.
The West Bengal CID yesterday said it may seek Aktaruzzaman's extradition from the US, so that a trial can be held in India.
"India has an extradition treaty with the US. Bangladesh does not. We may seek his extradition to India because the crime occurred here," a senior CID officer said, requesting anonymity.
Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan yesterday said the government was working with India, Nepal, Interpol, and the US to bring Aktaruzzaman to Bangladesh.
Azim went to Kolkata on May 12 and stayed the night at his friend Gopal's house. He left the next day, saying he had a doctor's appointment. Gopal later received a couple of texts from Azim's mobile phone that said there was no need to call him. On Wednesday, India and Bangladesh police said the MP was murdered in a flat in New Town, Kolkata.
An officer at a law enforcement agency in Bangladesh said some of the accused tried to kill Azim in India before.
In mid-January, Aktaruzzaman along with Celesty Rahman and another woman named Arisha went to Kolkata and invited Azim to meet them there. But the latter did not fall into the trap, said another source.
Harun Or Rashid, additional commissioner (DB) of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), said the accused previously failed twice in their attempts to kill the lawmaker.
They planned to kill the MP in the country before the last national election, he told reporters on Mintoo Road.
"Their plan was to take him to that flat in Kolkata and keep him there for two days during which they would blackmail him into giving them money through hundi," he said.
"They used chloroform to make the lawmaker unconscious. As he did not regain consciousness, he was killed. Then they disposed of the body.
"After that, the killers went to different places with the MP's mobile phone to confuse everyone.
"The killers first took him to the flat, and then took one of his phones and went to another place. Besides, the killers came to the Beanpole border with four mobile phones after killing him."
According to investigators, the accused named Sayem and Faisal changed their appearance by shaving their heads.
They even tried to get the lawmaker's political rivals framed for the murder.
Asked how the investigation will make progress as the body is yet to be found, Harun said, "We will analyse everything. The accused are giving information. We are not disclosing everything for the sake of the investigation.
"Besides, the Kolkata police have found evidence, therefore, a murder case has been filed [in Kolkata]. Indian police are investigating this murder case very seriously.
"A team of Indian police is investigating here in Bangladesh. They are interrogating the accused [arrested in Dhaka]."
A three-member team of detectives will go to India soon to investigate the murder, said Harun, adding a government order has been issued in this regard.
[Our correspondent in New Delhi contributed to this report.]
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