Sheikh Hasina made accused in murder case over extramarital affairs

The Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) has received sensational information in a murder case filed against former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and 167 others. The investigation has revealed that Abu Sayeed's murder was not political; rather, it was committed due to a dispute over extramarital affairs.

Sources involved in the investigation said that Rashidul Islam, the uncle of the deceased Sayeed, filed the first case at the Sripur Police Station on October 3, 2024. In that case, it was mentioned that Abu Sayeed was hacked to death inside a saloon on October night 2. The only accused in the case was a person named Khalil.

However, a month later, the deceased's father Rafiqul Islam filed another case in the Gazipur court with a completely different story. There, he claimed that on August 5, his son was injured with bullets and machete blows on the orders of Sheikh Hasina and Obaidul Quader in the Sripur flyover area and later died in the hospital.

The PBI started an investigation after suspicions arose over two different accounts of the same incident. The investigation officer, Sub-Inspector Shah Kamal, spoke to the locals and confirmed that Abu Saeed had a relationship with a married woman from the neighboring area and that he was killed over that dispute. No connection was found to the incident with the political movement.

After the truth came out in the investigation, Rafiqul Islam admitted to giving false information. He said that on the advice of a lawyer, he filed a case against 167 people. However, he did not disclose the name of the lawyer.

He also admitted that his son was killed inside the salon and that he did not personally know many of the people named in the case. Later, on the advice of the local police, he withdrew the case from the court.

Filing a false case is a punishable offense under the prevailing law of Bangladesh. Although the Criminal Code provides for imprisonment and fines for such crimes, no legal action has been taken against Rafiqul Islam so far.

According to legal experts, the trend of turning personal disputes into political cases by taking advantage of political unrest or major events is becoming worrisome for the judiciary.