UNB :
A court in Chattogram has imposed a travel ban on three persons wanted in connection with the murder of former police superintendent Babul Akter’s wife Mahmuda Khanam Mitu.
Chattogram Metropolitan Magistrate Mehnaz Rahman gave the order on Monday in the wake of a plea by the investigating officer, inspector Santosh Kumar Chakma of the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI).
The three absconding accused are Kamrul Islam Shikder alias Musa, Ehteshamul Haque Bhola and Khairul Islam alias Kalu.
Chittagong Metropolitan Police’sassistant commissioner (prosecution) Kazi Shahabuddin Ahmed said the court’s order will soon be sent to all ports across the country. Inspector Santosh said that the petition was filed in the court to prevent the three fugitives from flying abroad amid the ongoing drive to arrest them for solving the murder case.
From the footage of CCTV cameras, investigators have already confirmed that Musa and Kalu were directly involved in the killing while Bhola had supplied the gun used in the crime. However, Panna Akter, wife of Musa, told a court that her husband was arrested by the police immediately after the murder.
Bhola, on the other hand, was earlier arrested by police, but has been absconding since his release on bail. Kalu has been on the run since the murder, said the PBI.
On June 5, 2016, unidentified assailants gunned down Babul’s wife Mitu at the port city’s GEC intersection while she was going to drop her son Mahir Akhter, 7, for a bus of Chittagong Cantonment Public School and College.
Soon after the crime, a murder case was filed at Panchlaish Police Station against three unidentified men, following a complaint by Babul.
On May 12 this year, PBI submitted its final report in the case, prima facie holding Babul guilty of plotting the murder. Babul was held that day only, following a complaint by Mitu’s father. After being in police custody for five days, Babul was remanded in judicial custody by a court. He has been lodged in Feni district jail since May 17.
