Shahinuddin Murder: Police claim ex-MP is the mastermind

Ex-MP MA Awal masterminded the murder of Pallabi trader Shahinuddin. He instructed people to carry out the killing, according to AKM Hafiz Akhter, additional commissioner of the Detective Branch of Dhaka Metropolitan Police.

Addressing a press conference, he also said Awal had gotten into a dispute with Sahinuddin over the construction of boundary gates and pillars at Awal's Ali Nagar project in Pallabi.

Awal planned to kill Shahinuddin and his staffer Sumon was assigned to execute the plan in return for a huge amount of money. Sumon, with the help of others, hacked Shahinuddin to death on May 16, he said.

Sumon was given Tk 20,000 in advance for the murder. The rest of the money was supposed to be given after the murder, said AKM Hafiz.

The DB Additional Commissioner said the information was given by the three accused in their confessional statements before court, in our investigation and in statements given to police by other arrestees.

The DB has so far arrested 10 people, including six named accused -- MA Awal, Sumon Byapari, Md Titu, Md Dipu, Babu alias Baitte Babu and Md Murad.

Four others, whose involvement was found in Shahinuddin's murder -- They are Rocky Talukder, Nur Mohammad Hasan, Iqbal and Sharif – were also arrested.

Two accused in the case Monir and Manik were allegedly killed in "gunfight" with Rab and the DB.

Hafiz said the FIR had 20 named accused in the case and that they were trying to arrest them all, adding that the investigation is currently at it's final stage.

Sumon Bepari confessed to a magistrate on Monday that he hired 12 other goons to kill the trader upon former lawmaker Awal's instructions.

After being attacked three times in last six years, receiving numerous death threats, and even after filing general diaries in this regard, Shahinuddin was attacked and brutally killed on May 16 in front of his 7-year-old son.

The following day, his mother filed a murder case with Pallabi Police Station.