Expat doctor killed in robbery plot by former tenants: police

Police have arrested three suspects in the murder of Bangladeshi-born British citizen AKM Abdur Rashid in his Dhaka home

Police have arrested three suspects in the murder of Dr AKM Abdur Rashid, a Bangladeshi-born British citizen, who was killed two weeks ago in his home in Dhaka's Hazaribagh.

The arrests were made in Khulna's Dumuria and the capital's Mohammadpur on Friday.

The suspects were identified as Md Naim Khan, 22, Md Zahidur Rahman Rifat, 20, and Md Abu Taher Sikder alias Shaon, 22.

At a media briefing on Saturday, police revealed that Naim and Rifat, former tenants of the house, were responsible for the murder.

The crime was allegedly planned after a dispute over unpaid rent, with the assailants planning to steal money from the flat to raise capital for a planned business venture.

The incident occurred on the night of Nov 14 when a group of intruders entered the first floor of the Hazaribagh house while Dr Rashid was praying. When his wife Sufia Rashid tried to intervene, the attackers covered her mouth.

Rashid was repeatedly stabbed in the chest with a knife. The attackers fled when Sufia screamed.

A severely injured Rashid was subsequently rushed to Dhaka Medical College Hospital, or DMCH, where he was declared dead.

Rashid and his wife Sufia were both doctors, who lived in the UK and would visit Bangladesh every September, spending several months at their home in Dhaka. The rest of their family also lives abroad.

Following the incident, the victim's cousin, Md Rezaul Karim, filed a case at Hazaribagh Police Station on Nov 15.

During the briefing, Deputy Commissioner Md Masud Alam said that the investigation involved analysing CCTV footage from the crime scene, gathering information from former tenants of the building, and using technology to identify the perpetrators.

Naim and Zahidur were subsequently arrested in Dumuria's Shahpur Bazar, while Shaon was apprehended in Mohammadpur. The murder weapon was also recovered based on information provided by Naim.

During preliminary interrogation, the suspects revealed that Naim and Zahidur had previously rented a flat in the same house but moved out a month ago following a dispute with the victim's wife over unpaid rent. This had angered them.

Moreover, Naim and Zahidur had been planning to start a restaurant business and intended to steal money from the house. They, along with Shaon, had entered the house by climbing over the boundary wall.

"When Dr Abdur Rashid woke up in the middle of the night for Tahajjud prayers, he noticed the attackers. When he tried to resist, a struggle ensued, and he was fatally stabbed," said Deputy Commissioner Masud.