Body on expressway: bus supervisor-assistant’s ‘confession’, driver on remand

Supervisor Saju Laskar and assistant Mahbub Alam Monir of ‘Raj Classic’ bus have given confessional statements in court in the murder case filed over the recovery of the body of bus passenger Ismail Hossain from Dhaka Elevated Expressway. In the same case bus driver Sohel Rana has been sent on four days’ remand for questioning.

On Sunday case investigating officer Sub-Inspector of Banani Police Station Nazrul Islam Talukdar produced the three accused in court. He applied for recording as Saju and Monir agreed to give confessional statements voluntarily. Later Metropolitan Magistrate of Dhaka Albiruni Mir recorded Saju’s and Metropolitan Magistrate Md. Siddique Azad recorded Monir’s statements. After that they were sent to jail.

On the other hand, the court of Metropolitan Magistrate of Dhaka Ariful Islam granted four days’ remand for Sohel Rana after the hearing. Sub-Inspector of Prosecution Police Moktar Hossain informed these information.

On Friday morning police recovered the body of an unidentified person from Dhaka Elevated Expressway. Tape was stuck on his face. He was wearing a blue-coloured shirt and lungi like the clothes of autorickshaw drivers. Later matching the fingerprint with the information of the national identity card database police learnt that the name of that person is Ismail Hossain. His age is 50 years and he is the son of Jalal Uddin of Sadar upazila of Jamalpur. Later his son Hasan identified the body at Dhaka Medical College Hospital.

According to police’s statement, Ismail had boarded the ‘Raj Classic’ bus on September 4 to go to Gazipur from Jamalpur. The matter of him having a large amount of money while giving the fare on the way came to the notice of the bus supervisor Saju. Later he informed the matter to the driver.

Joint Commissioner (Crime) of DMP Md. Faruq Hossain said Saju saw the matter of him having a huge amount of money when Ismail took out the money tucked in the lungi while giving the fare. Later a plan was made to take the money from him after discussion with the driver and others.

Police claimed that according to the plan Ismail was not dropped at Chandra bus stand. After dropping the other passengers at various places of Gazipur the bus started coming towards Dhaka taking him. At one stage the supervisor and assistant bound Ismail’s face and hands with tape and ensured his death by wrapping a gamchha.

Later the body was thrown on the Dhaka Elevated Expressway according to police’s statement. After identifying the bus on Saturday night police seized it. After that driver Sohel Rana, supervisor Saju and assistant Monir were arrested.

According to the FIR of the case, Ismail had set off for Gazipur taking five lakh taka received by selling land of the village home and various food items. Getting the news of his arrival his son Hasan was waiting at Zirani bus stand of Gazipur. He found it switched off after calling on his father’s mobile number. Not getting the sight of his father even after waiting until 10am he returned home.

Later around 12 noon Banani police station informed about finding Ismail’s body by calling his neighbour Montu. Hasan identified his father after seeing the photo of the body. He learnt that his father’s body has been recovered from the place between pillar numbers 179 and 180 of the Kakoli to Kuril-bound section of the Elevated Expressway under Banani police station.

It has been said in the FIR that the five lakh taka that was with Ismail and the goods brought from the village home were not found. There were marks of injury on his body. Tape was stuck on the nose, head and the wrist of the right hand.

On that day itself Ismail’s son Hasan filed a murder case at Banani police station over this incident.