FBI agent talks to witnesses, families of accused

Habiganj, March 28 (BDNEWS) – Completing a two-day crucial spot visit, the FBI team left Habiganj Monday afternoon after talking to witnesses in Kibria murder case and families of the accused as well as local police personnel.

Sources concerned said Trung Vu, a special agent of Federal Bureau of Investigation, and two other US security personnel, talked to three of the 66 witnesses in the case at local circuit house in the morning.

The witnesses - Idris Mian, Ali Asgar and Sanjab Ali – narrated the January 27 grisly grenade attack that killed former finance minister Shah AMS Kibria and four other Awami League leaders at Baidder Bazar in the district.

Also, the FBI team talked to families of several accused in the case. Among them were family members of accused Joynal alias Momin, a local BNP leader.

While talking to the families, the sources said that the FBI team wanted to know about the movements of the accused and people whom they (accused) come around in the days and weeks before the gruesome killing.

Earlier on Sunday, Vu and two other US security officials went to Habiganj jail and talked to the accused, including Kaiyum, vice president of district BNP and central president of Zia Smriti Gabeshana Parishad.

Talking to the accused, the US secret service personnel concentrated on the source of grenades.

Before departing Habiganj Monday, in a meeting with district police officials the FBI personnel also emphasised the source of the explosives.

The sources said that the main thrust of the FBI investigation is now on detecting the source of the grenades as such attacks took place in the country in a series, including on the UK High Commissioner Anwar Chowdhury.

Police are now investigating into the second case under explosives act in connection with the grenade attack at Baidder Bazar.

The FBI team visited the Baidder Bazar spot on Sunday. They stayed there for more than two hours and examined the scene, and its surroundings. The US investigators also took video shots and some photographs of the spot.

The investigators later visited Zilanee Sawmill, adjacent to the Baidder Bazar Government Primary School, the spot of the grenade attack.

The sawmill belongs to Zamir Ali, one of the accused of the attack, where the main suspect BNP leader Qaiyum had reportedly held a meeting before the grenade attack.

DIG of Sylhet Range, AKM Maufuzul Haq, police super Mostafa Kamal, investigation officer of the case Munshi Atiqur Rahman and officials of intelligence agencies accompanied the US team.

The US team reached the capital on March 23 and held a series of discussion with police and intelligence agencies.

Police submitted the chargesheet in KIbria killing case on March 19 accusing 10 people, mostly BNP men.

Chargesheet into the second case under explosives act is expected shortly.

BDNEWS/1513 hrs