The Chief Judicial Magistrate Court in Kushtia has sent former Superintendent of Police (SP) of Kushtia Tanveer Arafat to jail in a case filed over the abduction and killing of BNP activist Sujon Malitha in 2019.
Senior Judicial Magistrate Mahmuda Khatun issued the order today (Thursday) at about 2:pm.
Tanveer was produced before the court at noon. Earlier, on Wednesday evening, he was taken into police custody. At the time of arrest, he was serving as Deputy Police Commissioner attached to the DIG Office of the Sylhet Range. Tanveer’s ancestral home is in Khalishpur Upazila, Khulna.
He was brought to Kushtia early this morning.
Huge police were deployed on the court premises to prevent any untoward incidents.
The case was filed at Kushtia Model Police Station on September 29, 2024.
Shihabur Rahman, the current Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Kushtia Model Police Station, reported that a case has been recorded against 15 named and 10-12 unnamed persons for the alleged shooting and killing of Sujon Malitha. SP Tanveer was the prime accused in the case.
The victim, Sujon Malitha, was the son of Ismail Malitha from Takimara village in Kushtia Sadar Upazila. The plaintiff, Sujon Hossain, is the son of Abdur Razzak from Lalon Shah Road in the Mill Line area of Kushtia town.
The plaintiff, in his case, personified himself as a ‘political friend’ of slain Sujon Malitha.
In the case, the plaintiff mentioned that his party colleague and BNP activist Sujon Malitha regularly attended different events of BNP and encouraged party leaders and activists. For this reason, the accused came to view Sujon Malitha as an adversary and plotted to kill him.
On September 13, 2019, at approximately 12:20:am, the accused entered Sujon’s house soon after his returning home attending a BNP programme in Kushtia town.
The accused forcibly abducted him, and took him to an unknown location.
Sujon Hossain stated that after an extensive search by the victim’s family, they learned from locals that Sujon had been shot and killed on the night near the GK (Ganges-Kobadak) canal at Mollateghoria area, outskirts of Kushtia town around 1:30: am.
In the FIR, Sujon went on that when he and the victim’s family confronted the accused to inquire about the motive behind the murder, the accused dismissed them without giving any explanation. He further mentioned that when they attempted to file a case multiple times, the accused intimidated them in various ways.
Sujon also claimed that many locals are aware of the incident.
The accused in the case include: former Kushtia Superintendent of Police (SP) S.M. Tanvir Arafat, the then Officer-In-Charge (OC) of Kushtia Model Police Station Nasir Uddin, OC (investigation) of the same station A.K.M. Mizanur Rahman, Sub Inspector (SI) Saheb Ali of the same station, SI Mostafizur Rahman, former lawmaker of Kushtia-3 (Sadar) also Joint General Secretary of Bangladesh Awami League Mahbubul Alam Hanif, former lawmaker of Kushtia-4 (Khoksa-Kumarkhali) Abdur Rouf, former Chairman of Kushtia Sadar Upazila also General Secretary of Kushtia Town unit Awami League Ataur Rahman Ata, former Chairman of Daulatpur Upazila Tokon Chowdhury, President of Kushtia Nagarik Parishad Saifuddaula Tarun, Research and Information Secretary of Kushtia District Awami League Rashedul Islam Biplob, Councilor of Ward No. 15 of Kushtia Municipality Mohidul Islam, President of Islamia College unit Chhatra League Sheikh Arifur Hossain Sajib, Councilor of Ward No. 8 of Kushtia Municipality Koushik Ahmed alias Bichchu, Vice President of Kushtia District unit Shromik League Sohag Ali
Among the accused, Mahbubul Alam Hanif and Ataur Rahman Ata, along with others, are absconding.
Besides, former MP of Kushtia-4 (Khoksa-Kumarkhali), Abdur Rouf, is languishing in Kushtia jail in the same case.