Deepto TV's Tamim murder : Key accused still at large

Two months have passed since Tanzil Jahan Islam Tamim, a broadcast officer of private TV channel Deepto TV, was brutally murdered. Yet, police have failed to arrest the key accused in the case. The sluggish pace of the investigation has left Tamim's grieving family frustrated and disheartened.

On October 10, Tamim, aged 34, was allegedly beaten and strangled to death over a dispute involving the allocation of flats in a building in Dhaka's Hatirjheel area. The incident occurred at the construction site of Plots 79, 80, and 81 on Road 4 of D Block in the Metropolitan Project. Tamim's father, Sultan Ahmed, an engineer and landowner, filed a murder case with Hatirjheel Police Station against 16 named individuals and 11-12 unidentified others.

According to the police, Tamim was killed over a conflict with real estate developer Pleasant Properties regarding the distribution of flats. Among the 16 accused, six have been arrested: Md. Abdul Latif, Md. Qurban Ali, Mahin, Mozammel Haque Kabir, Bandhan, and Russell. Of them, Qurban Ali, Mahin, Bandhan, and Russell have confessed in court to their involvement in the murder.

However, Tamim's family claims the case's three prime accused remain free, fueling fears of further attacks. The accused include Md. Mamun, an official at the Department of Narcotics Control; Sheikh Rabiul Alam, a former BNP Central Executive Committee member and Managing Director of Pleasant Properties; and the company’s engineer, Mirza Abdul Latif.

Sheikh Rabi is out on an eight-week anticipatory bail granted by the High Court on October 28. The family alleges that he and the other two are trying to manipulate the case while remaining in hiding. Despite the challenges, investigators claim significant progress in the case and are optimistic about revealing undisclosed details soon. They also mentioned that the name of a local Jubo Dal leader has surfaced in connection with the incident.

Tamim’s father, Sultan Ahmed, stated that the disputed nine-story building was constructed on land jointly owned by three individuals, including himself. His share of the property, registered in his wife Khurshida Ahmed's name, entitled him to five flats. However, Pleasant Properties repeatedly delayed handing over three of the flats, prompting him to file a general diary with the Hatirjheel Police Station.

Recounting the incident, he said, “On October 10, Tamim was working inside one of the flats on the eighth floor when a group of 10-12 men suddenly attacked him, strangling him and punching him in the chest. He died on the way to the hospital.”

The case file further alleges that the building was constructed with the understanding that each landowner would receive five flats. However, Sultan Ahmed was given only two, while one flat was sold to Md. Mamun's father-in-law by the developer. On the day of the incident, Tamim went to work on the remaining two flats, which led to the attack. A group of 20-25 men destroyed the building’s CCTV cameras before assaulting Tamim.

Tamim’s elder brother, Shamvil Jahan, expressed disappointment over the lack of progress, saying, “Two months have passed, and the main accused are still roaming freely.” He accused Sheikh Rabi of illegally selling the family’s flat to Md. Mamun’s father-in-law, Fazlur Rahman, and hiring individuals linked to a BNP affiliate group to carry out the attack.

Md. Mamun was suspended by the Department of Narcotics Control within a week of the murder. However, he remains unreachable. On October 13, Sheikh Rabi issued a statement claiming that he was unaware of the October 10 incident. He stated that engineer Mirza Abdul Latif had gone to the Metropolitan Project site with two assistants to hand over half a flat to Fazlur Rahman, who was accompanied by his sons and son-in-law.

Several police officers who were previously involved in the investigation said the case involves numerous conflicting claims. They initially prioritized identifying and arresting the attackers seen in video footage, as they believe this will lead to identifying the masterminds. However, many of the key accused are reportedly out on bail.

Hatirjheel Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Mohammad Raju Ahmed said, “We are taking this case seriously and have already arrested six individuals. The investigation slowed down after the previous investigating officer, Inspector Golam Azam, was transferred, but a new officer has been assigned. Inter-agency coordination has also been improved.”

The new investigation officer, Sub-Inspector Arafat Bin Yusuf, confirmed that the key accused are still officially considered fugitives as they have not submitted bail documents. He added, “Their mobile phones remain switched off, but we are working with other law enforcement agencies. We are satisfied with the progress so far and expect to make further arrests soon.”

The name of a local Jubo Dal leader, who allegedly played a key role in orchestrating the attack, has also surfaced. He has been in hiding since the incident, with his phone switched off.

Meanwhile, Tamim’s family has accused the previous OC of Hatirjheel Police Station, Saiful Islam, of refusing to register a general diary for security two days before the incident.

Deputy Commissioner (DC) Ruhul Kabir Khan of DMP’s Tejgaon Division confirmed that Saiful Islam has been withdrawn, but no further action has been taken against him yet.

“The investigation is ongoing, and we are focusing on resolving the case first,” he said.