Even seven days after the brutal murder of spiritual leader and shrine head of Kushtia Abdur police have not arrested any of the accused, while several named suspects are reportedly moving oepn around in the area, sparking anger and concern among locals.
According to case, around 200 people have been accused — 4 named and the rest unidentified. The named accused are, former district president of Islami Chhatra Shibir Khaja Ahmed, Daulatpur upazila president of Khelafat Majlish Md. Asaduzzaman, Jamaat activist Rajib Mistri and local madrasa teacher Md. Shihab.
Locals sources claim that several named suspects are frequently seen in the area and are also active on social media. The key accused, Khaja Ahmed, recently uploaded a 12-minute video on Facebook denying his role in the killing.
Meanwhile, the second named accused, Asaduzzaman, was seen in public. He led the Maghrib prayer at a mosque in Hosainabad last Tuesday and was seen riding a motorcycle around Hosainabad market on Thursday afternoon.
A local trader from Hosainabad market, who did not want to be named, said that they are scared to see an accused in a murder case walking around freely.
“If the police do not take action soon, the situation may get worse,” he said.
Officer-in-Charge of Daulatpur Police Station, Arifur Rahman told that no arrests have been made yet. However, police are working actively and the investigation is ongoing.
On the other hand, local branches of Jamaat-e-Islami and Bangladesh Khelafat Majlish have claimed that the allegations against their party leaders and activists are false.
Additional Superintendent of Police in Kushtia, Delwar Hossain, said that filing a case does not mean immediate arrest in every case. He added that police are working to properly identify the accused and have prepared a confirmed list. Arrests will be made soon.
The attack happened after an old video, in which Shamim was accused of religious defamation, spread on social media. An angry mob led by some known people involved in different political parties attacked his shrine in Philipnagar, vandalized and set fire to it, looted the place, and beat spiritual leader Shamim to death.
The area is still tense. Local people are demanding quick arrests and strict legal action. They warn that if nothing is done, the law and order situation could get even worse.
Fazlur Rahman, who filed the case, said they were repeatedly encouraged by police to lodge the complaint, but it is now alarming to see the accused moving freely.