‘RAB threatening me’

Shahidul Islam, father-in-law of slain Councillor Nazrul Islam, says he is facing threats from the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB).

“RAB has threatened me for speaking up, so I’m worried about my security,” said the man who was the first to accuse RAB of abducting and killing Nazrul and six others last month.

Lt Col Anwar Latif Khan, who replaced former Lt Col Tarek Sayeed as the RAB-11 chief, denied his allegation.

Sayeed along with two other officers were removed from both RAB and their parent forces, following allegations of their involvement in the murders.

“But we will investigate anyone who made the threat disguised as RAB,” said Khan, the former head of RAB-5.

Public hearing on the Narayanganj murders resumed for the second successive day on Thursday with the testimony of Shahidul Islam.

The investigation committee formed by an order of the High Court started the public hearing at the Narayanganj Deputy Commissioners (DC) Office from 10am, seeking information on the multiple murders.

Just six people showed up to depose before it on Monday, the first day of the hearing.

That left the investigators worried over how much they could finally get to know about the high-profile murders.

There are also reservations about the hearing being held in the DC’s office.

“A lot of people would have turned up if the hearing was held at Siddhirganj,” said Islam. “They don’t want to come here because they fear for their own security.”