MP Aman, brothers involved in Tangail murder

Police have found evidence of lawmaker Amanur Rahman Khan (Rana) and his three brothers being involved in the murder of Tangail district Awami League leader Faruk Ahmed. One of the three brothers is the municipal mayor Shahidur Rahman. In January last year Faruk had been called out of his own house and shot dead.
According to sources, two persons accused in the case, Anisul Islam and Mohammed Ali, have given confessional statements mentioning the names of those involved in the murder.
They said that the murder was planned in the office of the lawmaker's business firm in Tangail. Other than the MP himself, also present during the planning were his three brothers, Tangail municipal mayor and city Awami League General Secretary Shahidur Rahman Khan Mukti, central leader of Chhatra League Saniyat Khan (Bappa) and President of Tangail Chamber of Commerce Zahidur Rahman Khan (Kakon) as well as three others. Amanur Rahman is MP of the Tangail-3 (Ghatail) seat.
Several leaders of the district Awami League have said that the murdered Faruk has had been the Tangail district Chhatra League General Secretary during his student life.
He had been the associate editor of Ronangon, a paper published during the 1971 war. He was wounded and disabled while putting up resistance in 1975 after the killing of Bangabandhu.
Concerning allegations of his involvement in the murder of a party leader, lawmaker Amanur Rahman Khan tells Prothom Alo, "I have performed Hajj seven times. I try not to harm even an ant. I am not involved in any crime. These accusations are all a conspiracy against me."
The investigating office says that the murder centred on conflict over the post of district Awami League General Secretary. The murdered Faruk and Mayor Shahidur Rahman were both candidates for this office. The police took no steps to arrest the MP or his brothers despite the evidence. However, a charge sheet will shortly be submitted, says the investigating officer Golam Mahfizul Islam.
Alamgir Khan (Menu), President of Tangail district Awami League, says, "I have heard that the murderers are naming the MP and his brothers. This is wrong. They cannot be involved in the murder."

Tangail Police Super Saleh Mohammed Tanveer says, "We have unravelled the mystery behind the murder from the statements of the two accused persons. It is clear how the murder took place. We cannot say reveal anything further, in the interests of the investigation."

Faruk Ahmed's bullet-ridden body was found on 18 January 2013 on a road near his house at Collegepara. His wife Nahar Ahmed filed a case in this regard three days later. She did not name anyone in the case. Investigations were taken up by the local police station and later handed over to the district detective police.

And officer of the detective police says, the police were initially at a loss over the case. However, at one stage of the investigations they came to know of the MP's involvement in the killing. Then on last 11 August Anisul Islam alias Raja was arrested. During interrogations he said that he had for long been very close to the lawmakers' family.

After being taken on 15 days' remand in three phases, Anisul finally issued a confession statement court.

How the murder took place: Anisul said that they had been close to the Khan family since his grandfather's times. About a year and a half ago he had been having a cup of tea at the intersection near the mayor's house. He saw the MP's car driving towards the officer of the lawmaker's business firm Global Training Centre. He too went to the office. The car dropped the MP and his younger and went off home. They entered the officer and closed the gate. Four persons were already waiting inside. They spoke of how Faruk was wanting to be the district Awami League General Secretary. The MP's younger brother was also candidate for the post. They said to call Faruk to the office.

The lawmaker's office Global Training Centre in Collegepara, Tangail, was about 20 yards from his house. It was a training centre for those going abroad, by was used as a place for the MP's associates to hang out.

Anisul Islam said that he was given the responsibility to call Faruk Ahmed from the district Awami League office. He did so and as they were entering the MP's office, the MP's brother Bappa came forward. He told Faruk, "Give the secretary post to the mayor."

Irritated, Faruk replied, "You all are impossible, I've given everything and now you want the secretary post too. Let's see." The MP walked out and Faruk lit up a cigarette and walked towards a car repair garage nearby.

A certain Samir in the office then gave a missed call over mobile to another person called Kabir. Kabir shot at Faruk from a very close range. The bullet hit Faruk in the back. Some others emerged from within the office and covered Faruk's mouth. The MP's younger brother Bappa called the driver and told him to bring the car around immediately. He ordered to clear the place within two minutes. Later Faruk's dead body was taken in an auto-rickshaw and dumped near his house.

Following Anisul Islam's confessional statement, the police arrested Mohammed Ali on 24 August. After 10 days' remand, on 5 September he gave his confessional statement. He said the MP, his three brothers and three others were present during the planning of this murder.

Cases against the four brothers: Local people in Tangail say that the MP Amanur Rahman Khan was not given nomination in the November 2012 by-election. He contested as an independent candidate and won. He had been expelled from the party as a 'rebel' candidate but was taken back after winning the election. He was elected uncontested as a member of parliament in the 5 January election.

In the statement submitted with his nomination papers during the election, he mentioned there had been 46 cases against him, including three murder cases. The murder cases included the killing of Tangail city Chhatra League President Khorshed Alam Khokan, Tangail pourashava's former Commissioner Rumi Chowdhury and district Chhatra Dal Vice President Abdur Rauf. All the cases had been settled. The Rumi Chowdhury and Rauf murders cases had been withdrawn on political considerations.

The MP's brother Shahidur Rahman Khan is the Tangail city Awami League's General Secretary. He had previously been Convenor of Tangail district Chhatra League. After elder brother Aminur Rahman Khan was killed in 2003, he went abroad. He returned in 2008 but remained more or less in hiding. He became active in 2009 once Awami League came to power. In 2011 he was elected mayor in the municipal election.

In the statement accompanying his nomination papers for the municipal election, Shahidur Rahman stated that there had been 36 cases against him, including five for murder. He was the accused in cases along with his brother. The cases had been settled or withdrawn on political consideration.

Another brother Zahidur Rahman Khan is the President of the Tangail Chamber of Commerce, General Secretary of the district Bebshayi Oikya Jote, and President of the district Transport Owners Association, among other things. The police could not say how many cases he and his brother Saniyat faced, though they had both been accused in the murders of Rumi Chowdhury and Rauf. The government has withdrawn the cases on political considerations.

Faruk Ahmed's wife Nahar Ahmed, as plaintiff in the case, says, "I do not know who killed him. All I want is justice."