Shamim Osman, a ruling party MP from Narayanganj-4, on Tuesday alleged that local city mayor Selina Hayat Ivy is trying to save some perpetrators of the sensational seven-murder incident by shifting the blame on so-called godfathers.
“From the very beginning, Ivy has been claiming that RAB has no link with the incident… she didn’t mention my name yesterday (Monday) either. I hope she won’t mention godfather in the future, too. The way she talked to journalists and in TV talk-shows yesterday it gives an impression she’s trying to save someone involved in the killings,” he said.
Shamim was talking to reporters after giving his deposition to the seven-member probe body formed by the government to investigate the gruesome seven-murder incident in Narayanganj. He also claimed that Nur Hossain, the prime accused in the case, is not his man and said Mayor Ivy had put him in big positions of different committees of the Narayanganj City Corporation (NCC).
“I think Nur Hossain had involvement in the incident in one way or the other. It might be before or after the abduction of the seven people. He must be brought back home. Had I had the power I would have brought him back tomorrow.”
Earlier on Monday, NCC Mayor Ivy said godfathers were involved in the Narayanganj seven-murder incident. “People know who are Narayanganj godfathers?” Ivy told reporters after the seven-member inquiry team interrogated her over the murders.
A day later, the probe panel took Shamim’s deposition at the secretariat office of the Public Administration Ministry between 11:4oam and 2:20pm.
After giving the long deposition, Shamim told reporters what he had hinted immediately after the incident has now become true. “I had said just one hour after the incident that 1-2 law enforcers might have picked up the seven people without the knowledge of senior officials. Now my assumption has proved right.”
He said the probe body thanked him for his assumption and informing the higher officials of the law enforcement agencies and the Home Ministry about the incident immediately after it took place.
The MP said he gave replies to what the probe panel wanted to know from him about the incident.
He said he gave suggestions so that such incidents do not recur in the future.
As his attention was drawn to a remark of Ivy that the people of Narayanganj are still in panic, he said people in his area are living a safe and peaceful life like others elsewhere in the country. “Killing also takes place even in Washington DC.”
Claiming that he has specific evidence about Ivy’s corruption, Shamim Osman said he would ask the NCC mayor to accept his challenge in this regard to come out clean.
Probe committee chief Shahjahan Mollah said as Shamim and Ivy are the local representatives and they interrogated them separately to have their versions about the seven murders. “They’ve helped us and replied to what we asked them.”
Asked whether they will quiz Nur Hossain, he parried the question saying “Wait and see”.
He hoped that the real perpetrators will be identified through the investigation.
Replying to a query, Shahjahan Mollah said the inquiry is progressing well and hoped that they will be able to place the probe report by September 9 as per the High Court direction.
On April 27, seven people-NCC panel mayor Nazrul Islam and his four associates and senior lawyer Chandan Sarker and his driver- were kidnapped. Later, their bodies were dumped into the Shitalakkhya River after killing them.
On May 7, the government formed the committee in line with a High Court directive with Md Shahjahan Ali Mollah, additional secretary of the Public Administration Ministry, as its head.
