Wife arrested over Obaidul murder, police looking for her ‘lover’

Police have arrested the wife of Obaidul Haque, nephew of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Nurul Islam BSc, for her suspected involvement in Haque’s murder.

Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s Deputy Commissioner (media) Muntasirul Islam said Tasmin Khadiza Sonia, 26, was detained from Chittagong’s Panchlaish on Thursday morning and brought to Dhaka.

Haque was shot in the head in the early hours of June 26 in Dhaka’s Kalabagan when he was returning home from his office at Bashundhara City Shopping Mall.

He died at Dhaka Medical College Hospital two hours later.

Police officer Islam said: “We are on the trail of Sonia’s lover Saifullah alias Rubel and his nephew Pappu in connection with the murder.”

Obaidul Haque (File Photo)

Detective Branch Deputy Commissioner Mashrequr Rahman said Rubel’s two other nephews – Mahmudur Hasan Mithu and Tanvir Ahmed – arrested in the murder case had given confessional statements in the court.

He told bdnews24.com: “Sonia and Rubel planned Obaidul’s murder. Rubel and his two nephews Mithu and Tanvir took part in this killing.”

Rahman said the three were riding a motorbike and Ahmed shot Haque in the head from point blank range.

“Mithu was following Obaidul from Bashundhara City Shopping Mall. He was informing others about Obaidul’s location over phone,” he added.

Haque was a manager of Sanwara Group owned by the overseas employment minister, his maternal uncle. He was living in a house on Kalabagan’s Circular Road owned by the latter.

Haque’s cousin Yasir Md Adnan filed a case with the Kalabagan police over the killing without naming anyone.

Detectives said Sonia, hailing from Chittagong, and Rubel from Chandpur had an affair since they were studying at Daffodil University.

Sonia’s family disapproved of the affair and married her off to Haque five months ago.

“Sonia and Rubel had the affair going even after the marriage. They planned Obaidul’s murder, making it look like a mugging incident, and later got married,” said a DB officer.

Mashrequr Rahman said Sonia provided Rubel with the money to buy a weapon for the murder.

“Rubel spent Tk 60,000 on the weapon and requested his three nephews to murder Rubel,” he added.

Police could identify the ‘killers’ after watching the footage of Bashundhara City’s close circuit cameras and hearing from the witnesses.

“The CCTV footage shows Mithu following Obaidul after he emerged from the market at night. He (Mithu) is also seen to be talking over phone,” Rahman said.