The investigators are yet to make any headway to unearth the mystery behind the sensational murder of Nurul Islam Farooqi even after five days of his murder. The case was transferred to Detective and Criminal Intelligence Division of Dhaka Metropolitan Police on Sunday when local Sher-e Bangla Nagar Police Station failed to get any clue. Two suspects– Mahmuda Khatun, 50, and Shariful Islam, 32, who were arrested at Rupganj upazila in Narayanganj on Friday-were placed on two-day remand on Sunday.Metropolitan Magistrate Waez Kuruni Khan Chowdhury granted the remand prayers after DB placed them before the court seeking seven-day remand for each.
Mahmuda, who worked at the tailor shop owned by Shariful, visited the slain imam’s house on the day of murder, according to victim’s family members.
Apart from them, the Sher-e-Bangla Nagar police had picked up another suspect Yusuf from pourashava area of Chauddagram, Comilla Saturday evening. But he was not placed before the court yet for unknown reason.
A gang of assailants slit the throat of Farooqi at his East Rajabazar residence in the capital on Wednesday night. Faisal Farooqi, son of the victim, filed a murder and robbery case with the police station against eight to nine unnamed persons the following day.
Farooqi, aged about 60, was the international affairs secretary of Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat and a presidium member of Bangladesh Islami Front. He was also the Khatib of High Court Mazar Mosque.
Besides, he owned a hajj agency, Farooqi Tours and Travels Private Ltd, and a presenter of Islamic programmes on channel-I and My Tv.
State Minister for Home Affairs Asaduzzaman Khan yesterday termed the Faruqi killing ‘tragic’. “I don’t believe that the murdered TV presenter Maulana Nurul Islam Faruqi had any enemy. It is tragic… Everybody knows him.”
He said the murderers were ‘cool headed’ as they had stayed long time at Farooqi’s house. “We want to reveal the motive behind the murder in a proper way. We do not want that the investigation of his murder goes to wrong way. The real information will be revealed soon,” the home boss hoped.
Hartal observed
Meanwhile, the half-day countrywide hartal enforced by Islami Chhatra Sena [ICS], the student body of Islamic Front Bangladesh, demanding the arrest and punishment of the killers of Maulana Nurul Islam Farooqi, was observed peacefully on Sunday.
Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat and Islami Front had lent their support to the strike.
ICS supporters brought out a procession from the north gate of Baitul Mukarram in the capital’s Paltan area at 8:30am. Police stopped the procession near Paltan intersection.
Police also stopped two groups of hartal supporters at Manik Mia Avenue and Agargaon intersection in the capital at 6:30am and 7am respectively. The supporters were heading towards Paltan area with processions.
No untoward incident was reported and vehicular movement was almost normal during hartal hours.
In Chittagong, the hartal was observed almost peacefully. Vehicular moment in city roads was lesser than normal while no inter-district bus left the city during the strike.
Local sources said the supporters of Islami Chhatra Sena and Islami Front brought out several processions supporting the strike at Bahddarhat, Muradnagar, Oxygen intersection and Alankar intersection of the city.
In Gazipur city, the vehicular movement was also normal and no untoward incident reported.
