BCL leader's death: Police claim he fell from roof, family alleges murder
The family of Saifullah Arif, 30, Vice President of Bhola Sadar upazila Chhatra League, has alleged that he was murdered while police claim he fell from roof of a house.
His father, Bashir Uddin (Master), made the allegation during a press conference held today, Tuesday afternoon, at the Bhola Press Club auditorium.
At the event, Bashir Uddin said, "The police are claiming that he died after falling from the roof. But there was no possibility of such a fall—there were bamboo fences and balconies on every floor. The behaviour of the police has been suspicious from the beginning."
Earlier, on Saturday, Superintendent of Police Shariful Haque stated at a press conference in his office that, according to initial investigations, Saifullah Arif died after accidentally falling from the roof of his home.
The body of Saifullah Arif, son of Bashir Uddin from the Nabi Mosque Lane area on Kalibari Road in Bhola Municipality, was recovered from in front of their home on the morning of 31 August.
At Tuesday’s press conference, Bashir Uddin stated, “My son did not die in an accident — he was murdered. There is evidence to support this. Arif’s body had multiple cuts and fractures, and even the tendons in his hand were severed. The police are claiming he died from a fall off the roof, but that’s not possible. The roof was fenced with bamboo, and every floor had balconies. The Superintendent of Police labeled my son as drug-addicted without any proof. How can the police make such claims without an autopsy report? Their behaviour has been suspicious from the beginning. Even some suspects have been released without proper investigation.”
Bashir Uddin also said that Saifullah Arif had no involvement with drugs, and although he was a vice president of the Chhatra League, he never misused his position.
“The killers are influential, and the police are hiding the truth because of their influence,” he claimed.
He demanded that the investigation be handed over to the CID or PBI to ensure a proper and impartial inquiry.
In response to journalists' questions, Bashir Uddin added that although his son had disputes with several people, the murder was not related to land disputes or drug dealings, as Arif was not involved in those matters.
At a press conference held in his office on Saturday, Superintendent of Police Shariful Haque stated that following preliminary investigation into the death of Saifullah Arif, it was found that he died after accidentally falling from the roof of his home.
On the night of 30 August, around 12:15am, Saifullah and other family members went to bed after dinner. At around 5:10am, while heading out for the Fajr prayer, his father, Bashir Uddin, 70, discovered Arif’s bloodied body lying near the gate in front of their house. Police later arrived at the scene and sent the body to the Bhola Sadar Hospital morgue for autopsy.
The inquest revealed that Arif had sustained severe injuries to his head and hand.
According to the police's initial findings, Arif had been struggling with substance abuse for a long time and was often seen going up to the roof in a state of depression. On the night of the incident, he reportedly went to the roof again and fell from an unfenced section, resulting in fatal injuries.
When asked about the family’s allegations, Superintendent Shariful Haque said over the phone this afternoon, “The investigation is still ongoing. The press conference presented only preliminary findings. There is always room for additions or revisions as the investigation progresses.”