Minni took Rifat to hospital, shows new footage
New video footage on the sensational Rifat Sharif murder case in Barguna, shows Rifat’s wife Ayesha Akhter Minni, one of the accused in the murder case, was the one who actually took Rifat to the hospital all by herself.
This footage video obtained from the Barguna General Hospital CCTV raises question about the claim made by Rifat’s father that Rifat had to go to hospital all alone.
Rifat’s father Abdul Halim Sharif had called a press conference on 13 July, 18 days after the murder, and claimed that Minni was one of the accused and demanded her immediate arrest. Minni was then summoned to the police station on 16 July and arrested. She is now on out bail, staying with her parents.
The new video footage shows Ayesha Akter Minni brought Rifat covered with blood to Barguna General Hospital by a rickshaw at 10:21am.
A young man in front of the emergency department was seen to rush inside the hospital seeing Minni and Rifat and returned with a stretcher. Many other people were also seen helping Minni at the time.
Ayesha asked for a phone from a stranger at the hospital gate and called someone, the footage recorded. Ayesha’s father Mozammel Hossain and uncle Abu Saleh arrived at the hospital after some time.
An ambulance came up to the hospital gate at 10:38am. Rifat’s friend Manzurul Alam alias Jon and some of his friends came to the hospital at the time, too. Manzurul Alam was seen to talk to somebody over phone in the footage.
At 10:44 am, Riaf was taken by stretcher to that ambulance. He was being administered oxygen and intravenous saline. The ambulance left the hospital premises with him at 10:49 am.
Incidentally there were two CCTV cameras installed in the area. One was in front of the hospital and the other was installed by the Barguna district police, according to an official source of Barguna General Hospital.
The source, however, could not confirm from which camera the footage was taken.
Minni’s father claimed her to be innocent and told Prothom Alo, “My daughter tried her best to save Rifat but to no avail. These videos from the CCTV cameras of the college and hospital are the clear evidence of her innocence. My daughter is being framed.”
Rifat Sharif was murdered in broad daylight in front of his wife at the Barguna Government College gate on 26 June. The murder had created a stir sensation across the country after a video footage of the killing recorded on the college CCTV camera went viral on social media. Minni was seen trying her best to save her husband in that video.
Then certain quarters raised questions concerning Minni’s role in the murder after a second video released few days showed her walking slowly as Rifat was being dragged by the attackers.
Rifat’s father, at the 13 July press conference, claimed, “Minni seemed reluctant to do anything during the attack. She was searching for her shoes instead of taking Rifat to the hospital. Minni did not go with Rifat while he was shifted to Barisal.”
Prothom Alo contacted Abdul Halim Sharif after the release of the latest video.
He said, “Rifat was heading to hospital alone after being attacked. Minni got into the rickshaw midway.”
Barguna police submitted the charge-sheet of the case on 1 September naming Minni as accused No. 7 in the case. After her petition was rejcted several times, she was finally granted bail on 3 September.
Minni’s lawyer Mahbubul Bari told Prothom Alo that he had watched the fresh footage.
“It’s visibly clear that Minni tried her best to save Rifat. I did not receive the copy of the charge-sheet yet. If the police charge-sheet does not mention the new footage, then it will not be accurate,” he added.
The investigating officer of the case and inspector of Barguna police station Md. Humayun Kabir said, “We submitted what we found against Minni. We are not aware of the new video.”
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