Sonagazi Awami League chief Ruhul Amin detained for questioning over Nusrat murder

Police have detained Sonagazi Upazila Awami League President Ruhul Amin for questioning in connection with the killing of madrasa student Nusrat Jahan Rafi.

Senior Correspondentand Feni Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 19 April 2019, 01:36 PM
Updated : 19 April 2019, 02:02 PM

Banaj Majumder, a deputy inspector general heading the Police Bureau of Investigation or PBI, confirmed to bdnews24.com the news of Ruhul’s detention on Friday.

The chief of PBI, which is investigating the case, added they were yet to decide whether to arrest Ruhul.  

Ruhul was vice-president of the Sonagazi Islamia Fazil (Degree) Madrashah’s governing body.

The authorities on Wednesday dissolved the committee citing the killing of student Nusrat by suspected followers of principal SM Siraj-ud-Daula, who is accused of sexually harassing her.

Siraj was known to have links with Ruhul and Maksud Alam, a ward councillor of Sonagazi Municipality and acting general secretary of the ruling party’s Sonagazi unit.

Maksud, one of the eight accused named in Nusrat murder case, has already been remanded in police custody.

Locals said Ruhul was detained from his office at Takia Bazar area on Friday afternoon.

PBI Inspector Md Shah Alam told bdnews24.com one person was detained for questioning following information relating him to the case.

Some of the suspects revealed the information during remand and statements given to court, the inspector said.

He refused to disclose the name of the detainee, which later the chief of the agency confirmed.

PBI has arrested a total of17 people in the case until Thursday night. Four of them gave confessional statements to the court while 13 others are being grilled in police custody.

Deputy Inspector General SM Ruhul Amin on Thursday said local politics had played a role in the fatal arson attack on Nusrat.

He referred to the demonstrations organised by rival leaders of the ruling Awami League in favour of and against principal Siraj after his arrest on Mar 27 for alleged sexual harassment.

DIG Ruhul is heading an investigating into alleged negligence of duty by police in Feni’s Sonagazi before and after the teenaged girl was burnt on Apr 6, an attack police say was orchestrated by Siraj from jail.

Maksud backed programmes demanding release of Siraj while Sonagazi Upazila Awami League Organising Secretary Sheikh Abdul Halim Mamun, who is also a ward councillor, supported the programmes demanding the principal’s punishment.

Siraj, a former Jamaat-e-Islami leader accused in different cases over sabotage, had been close to Mamun before switching sides to win Maksud’s support for retaining his control over the madrasa, locals said.