Dhaka, Oct 10 (bdnews24.com) – One of the three wanted men detained by the CID police has revealed that former prime minister Khaleda Zia's son Tarique Rahman had "good ties" with another wanted man, Kala Jahangir, investigators said Wednesday.
Habibur Rahman Taj, sent back from India and now in custody in Bangladesh, also told police that Jahangir had an unbridled access to the Hawa Bhaban, the informal nerve centre of the Khaleda administration, an investigator told bdnews24.com, asking not to be named, because of the sensitivity of the issue.
Jahangir committed suicide and Pichchi Hannan, an alleged gangster, buried him, Taj was quoted to have told the CID police who are examining his statements.
On Oct 7, Indian authorities handed the CID police three wanted men: Taj, Mohammad Ibrahim and Selim better known as Lambu Selim, who were hiding in India.
A day later, a Dhaka court sent the three into remand to be interrogated by a CID team.
Additional inspector general of police (CID) Fani Bhusan Chowdhury told bdnews24.com Wednesday: "The wanted men claimed that many important persons were related to their activities. The veracity of their statements is being examined."
The CID chief said the process of bringing back other alleged criminals from India was underway. Authorities have information that seven to eight people are now in Indian jails, Chowdhury said.
"Legal complications are slowing the efforts to bring them back. A gangster named Joy holds an Indian passport. He cannot be deported until the issue is settled. It has to be established by an Indian court whether he is a Bangladeshi national or an Indian citizen."
Additional Special Police Super (CID) Abdullah Aref, working on the issue of the "top wanted men", said: "Interrogators have extracted much sensational information from them. After verifying the information, their statements will be recorded in court."
"They have already given statements to the police under section 161 naming important persons," Aref said.
Another CID officer on the team of interrogators said on condition of anonymity that Taj had told investigating officers that Tarique's friend and controversial businessman Giasuddin Al Mamun had close ties with Kala Jahangir.
In the statement, Taj said Mamun and a much-feared underworld operative, Subrata Bain, were close friends.
According to the investigators, Taj also claimed that Arman who had a criminal past was close to former state minister Lutfozzaman Babar. Arman was arrested by RAB in 2003 during the rule of the alliance government. He is now in jail.
In a statement, Selim said that a man with a criminal history, Imam, had been close to Khaleda Zia's political secretary Harris Chowdhury.
Speaking to bdnews24.com, a CID officer quoted Selim as saying that Imam had "always" accompanied Khaleda's security outfit.
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