Invisible, only to police

It has been two years since Nasim Ahmed Sohel, an MBA student of Premier University, Chittagong, was stabbed to death on the campus, but police are yet to submit the charge-sheet of the case or arrest the prime accused.

Md Ibrahim Sohan, the prime accused, was expelled from the same university. While police said they “conducted drives in different areas to try and arrest Sohan but in vain”, Sohel's family alleged that police were “not cooperative” enough to arrest Sohan, suspecting there was “pressure on police” from influential quarters.

Sohel's father, Abu Taher, filed a case with Chawk Bazar Police Station after the murder, accusing 13 including Sohan and some 20-25 unidentified people.

Contacted, Taher said they regularly contacted police about the arrest and the charge-sheet. “Whenever I urged the officer-in-charge to submit the charge-sheet, he replied saying the investigation of the case was at the end stage and they would submit charge-sheet immediately,” said Taher, adding that this has been going on for the past one year. “The CCTV footage of the university clearly showed who were involved in this murder; so I think police are wasting time in submitting the charge-sheet unnecessarily,” he said.

Taher said they had even given the police information on Sohan's whereabouts whenever he came to visit his family at his home in the port city, “but police did not conduct drives to arrest him.”

Sohel was an executive member of Chittagong city unit Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL). He was stabbed to death by rival BCL members while he was rehearsing to perform in the farewell and fresher's reception ceremony of the university on March 29, 2016. 

According to students and police, the murder was carried out over a feud between two factions of BCL over who will be in-charge of the ceremony.

Sohel was loyal to Chittagong city mayor and general secretary of Chittagong city unit Awami League AJM Nasir Uddin, while the attackers were allegedly loyal to former Chittagong city unit AL president late ABM Mohiuddin Chowdhury, said students.

Contacted, Wahed Russell, joint general secretary of Chittagong city unit BCL, said they along with Sohel's family members organised a press conference early this month demanding submission of the charge-sheet immediately.

“The main accused is seen roaming freely around different areas of the city. Yet, even after knowing his location, police have failed to arrest him,” he said.

Contacted, Mir Nurul Huda, officer-in-charge of Chawk Bazar Police Station, said police arrested 11 accused, all of who are now on bail.

“The investigation of the case is almost complete; we are waiting to arrest the prime accused. It is very important to arrest him to ensure punishment of the criminals.

“If the prime accused gives a statement before the court under section 164, the merit of the case would be strong,” he said. Asked about the CCTV footage, he said faces of many accused were not clear; so they were “eagerly trying” to arrest Sohan before submitting the charge-sheet. “We will wait for a few more days to arrest him and submit the charge-sheet,” he said.