A man, dressed in a white shirt and black pants, was lying motionless on the street, while some 25-30 young men were surrounding him. One, wearing an orange T-shirt, black pants, and a grey helmet, began hacking the man on the ground with a sharp weapon, and another three to four cohorts joined the attack.
The was the scene of the murder of lawyer Saiful Islam in Chattogram on Tuesday. The police collected the 52-second footage as part of its investigation into the incident. The man who hacked the lawyer with a sharp weapon has been identified as Chandan Das.
According to the police, 25 to 30 people participated in the attack, while four were directly involved in hacking Saiful. Eight suspects have already been arrested, and a manhunt is underway to nab the other attackers. Also, seven more people have been arrested for their suspected involvement in attacks on the police.
The violence erupted after the Chattogram court rejected the bail plea of Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari, spokesperson of the Sammilita Sanatani Jagran Jote, around 12:30 pm on the day. When he boarded the prison van, his supporters blocked the way and staged a protest there. The police and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) members used batons and sound grenades to disperse them, which led to clashes.
A group of lawyers brought out a rally in protest against the vandalism of vehicles and attacks. Multiple witnesses said while returning from the procession, Saiful Islam stumbled and fell. The armed individuals then hacked him to death.
52-second video
The police have collected a 52-second video of the brutal attack. According to officers associated with the investigation, Chandan Das, Om Das and Ranab hacked Saiful with sharp weapons, while the others continued beating him even after he turned motionless. Some 25-30 people were present there during the incident.
Among them, Ramit Das, Sumit Das, Gagan Das, Nayan Das, Vishal Das, Aman Das, Manu Methar, and Rajib Bhattacharya were arrested in the immediate night. They mostly work as cleaners, while one is a private university law student.
Residents of the Sebak Colony, which is home to the attackers, have mostly been at large since the incident. A number of people were seen there while visiting the area in the afternoon on Thursday. They, on the condition of anonymity, told Prothom Alo that they all are now suffering, though only a few were involved with the incident. They demanded that the authorities harass no innocent individual.
The officer-in-charge of Kotwali police station, Fazlul Quader Chowdhury, said through the video footage and interrogation of the arrestees, they came to know about the involvement of 25-30 individuals in the murder. They have mostly been identified. The police have already arrested eight and are conducting drives to detain the others.
Regarding the attackers' potential political affiliations, the OC said they are yet to be confirmed, but are still looking into the issue.
Meanwhile, seven others were arrested in three cases involving attacks on the police. They are – Rajib, Boby Chowdhury, Abdul Kaium, Kowshik Chowdhury, Abir Dey, Robin Das, and Jewel Das. With this, the number of arrestees for attacks on the police reached 35.
According to the police, the family of Saiful Islam is preparing to file a murder case, but no case had been lodged until last night.
Question over the police’s role
The district bar association's president, Nazim Uddin Chowdhury, raised questions over the role of the police during the incident. At a demonstration programme at the court premises on Thursday, he alleged that the incidents were actually instigated by the police.
He questioned why the police were inactive when Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari was taken into the prison van, why he was kept on the road for three hours, and why he was given a handmike to deliver a speech.
The lawyer drew the attention of the police commissioner to look into the incidents. Also, he threatened to besiege the prison if the authorities do not withdraw the special privileges for Chinmoy inside the prison.
In this regard, Kazi Tarek Aziz, additional commissioner of the Chattogram Metropolitan Police (CMP), told Prothom Alo that the policemen dealt with the situation with utmost professionalism and patience. He denied any negligence in discharging their duties on the day.