Agribusinessman Duranta Biplob’s death was accident, not murder: PBI

Investigators say he fell into the Buriganga after a launch hit the boat he was on

The Police Bureau of Investigation has said the death of Duranta Biplob, a businessman in the agriculture sector and an Awami League leader, was an accident, not murder.

His family filed a general diary after he went missing on Nov 7 on his way from his farm, Sonamati Agro, in Keraniganj to his mother’s house in Mohammadpur. His body was found in the Buriganga river in Narayanganj on Nov 11.

His sister Shashwatee Biplob filed a murder case against unidentified people last week after a forensic doctor said a post-mortem examination indicated Biplob was killed.

The last known location on his mobile phone was the Muslimbagh area of Kamrangirchar, said Imrul Khan, Biplob’s brother-in-law.

A man fell from a boat in the area while crossing the river the same day Biplob went missing, officer Shah Zaman said on Sunday, as police started exploring the possibility that Biplob died in an accident. Biplob often used the route to avoid traffic congestion.

Local river police, however, said they were not aware of anyone falling into the river.

On Saturday, PBI said CCTV camera footage, the statements of boatmen and a shoe found on a boat confirmed Biplob fell from the boat and died. The PBI conducted a shadow investigation into the incident.

Shafin Mahmud, a superintendent of police at the PBI, said Biplob fell after a launch hit the boat.

Sub-Inspector Saleh Mahmud said they tracked Biplob’s movement from the farm to Zinzira pier by using CCTV camera footage and speaking to the driver of the auto-rickshaw he hired.

Biplob left his farm at 4:47pm and reached the pier at 5:13pm, according to the PBI.

He then got on the boat of Shamsu, 55, whom SI Saleh identified with a single name.

After Shamsu, Biplob and other passengers fell from the boat following the collision with Barishal-bound Morning Sun-5 launch, other boatmen there rescued all of them but Biplob.

Shamsu told everyone at the time all the passengers were accounted for, hiding the fact that Biplob was missing, said Saleh. The boatman later went home and did not return to work out of fear of retribution, the PBI officer said.

The PBI later took Shamsu into custody and he detailed the incident to the investigators, Saleh said.

“We took a photo of the shoe found on the boat and send it to the plaintiff, who confirmed it belonged to Duranta Biplob.”