Staff Reporter :
Superintendent of Police Babul Aktar was freed on Saturday afternoon, nearly 15 hours after he was picked up by police for quizzing in connection with killing of his wife Mahmuda Akter Mitu on June 5 in Chittagong.
Babul Aktar was taken by police from his father-in-law’s residence in city on Friday night to the Detective Branch office of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP). SP Babul Aktar on Saturday firmly dismissed rumours of his arrest over his wife’s murder and told the media that he was called to discuss his wife’s murder case.
Babul also told reporters that he was taken by police to verify some information revealed by some suspects already held in connection with the murder.
Earlier in the morning, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal said that police quizzed Babul Akter to know more about the murder of his wife.
The minister told journalists about the matter after attending a programme arranged by the Directorate of Narcotic Control at Dhaka Club in the capital.
Replying to a question if Babul was detained or arrested, the home boss said, “You will be informed soon. It’s not the time to say anything right now.”
“He worked in Chittagong and knew many people there. We are questioning him to confirm identities of those arrested over the murder,” the home minister said when asked why the police picked up Babul Aktar.
“Police are confident that those who have already been arrested in connection with the Mitu murder are the killers,” Asaduzzaman said.
Babul’s father-in-law Mosharraf Hossain, a retired police official, said Khilgaon OC Moinul Hossain and Motijheel’s Deputy Commissioner Anowar Hossain took away Babul at about 1:00am saying that the Inspector General of Police (IGP) wanted to talk to him.
Babul returned to their residence around 4:15pm on Saturday, his father-in-law confirmed.
On June 21, police arrested suspects Abu Musa, 45, and Ehteshamul Haque Bhola, 38, largely known as Babul’s informants.
Police had been saying they suspect Islamist militants for the murder as Babul Aktar had led several successful raids against them during his tenure in the Detective Branch at the southeastern coastal district of Chittagong.
Abdul Baten, Joint Commissioner (Detective Branch) of DMP, said that Babul Aktar was being interrogated at city detective office.
Devdas Bhattacharya, Additional Commissioner (Crime and Operation) of Chittagong Metropolitan Police (CMP), said, “We have identified the motorcyclists who took part in Mahmuda’s killing mission. The name will not be disclosed for the sake of interrogation. We’re trying to arrest other suspect killers.”
The mystery behind the murder will be unearthed soon, the police official said.
“We will inform the media about Mitu killing in details,” said the CMP additional commissioner. CMP has already interrogated six persons and the suspect killers will be arrested soon, he said.
