PBI questions ex-SP Babul Akter over murder of his wife Mitu

The Police Bureau of Investigation has quizzed Babul Akter, a former superintendent of police, over the murder of his wife Mahmuda Akter Mitu, triggering a social media frenzy.

Babul appeared in the PBI office in Chattogram’s Pahartoli on Tuesday night, around five years after the murder in the port city. The decorated police officer had worked as deputy commissioner of Chattogram Metropolitan Police.     

The latest development in the investigation triggered speculations on Facebook, with some news media reporting that he has been arrested.

Police officials did not confirm whether Babul has been detained.

Abu Yusuf, a spokesman for PBI, said in the night that the official investigating the case was quizzing Babul. “He has not been arrested yet.”

Babul could not be seen coming out of the PBI office late in the night. The gate was locked and officials said Babul was inside.

“You’ll know about it later,” said Inspector Santosh Kumar Chakma, who is investigating the case.

Earlier, Santosh said, “He (Babul) came to us as the plaintiff of the case. I can’t say what we talked about because the investigation is still ongoing.”

Deputy Inspector General Banoj Kumar Majumder, head of PBI, said in the evening that they called Babul for the sake of the investigation.

“You can call it interrogation,” he said. 

Mitu’s family initially was on Babul's side after her murder, but later suspected that the former police officer might have links to the killing.

Having earned plaudits for his role in anti-terrorism drives in Chattogram, he had also been questioned by the investigators.

He resigned following the controversy around three months after the death of his wife.

Mitu was hacked and shot dead near GEC Intersection in the port city early in the morning of June 5, 2016, when she was taking her son to school. It happened a few days after Babul had joined Police Headquarters in Dhaka following promotion and transfer.

He accused unidentified people in the case started at Panchlaish Police Station over the murder.

It had initially been suspected that Babul’s actions against militants led to the murder of Mitu, but the investigation took a sharp turn when her family pointed the finger at Babul.