BAIRA vice-president Firoz on 2-day remand
The officials of the manpower agency, Turki Associate Ltd, said Joy, one of the 23 most wanted criminals of Dhaka Metropolitan Police, asked its owner to hand the toll over to Firoz.
Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies (BAIRA) termed the arrest of Firoz a 'conspiracy' and demanded his unconditional release.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. Detective Branch (DB) of Police yesterday produced Firoz before the Court of Chief Metropolitan Magistrate around 2:30pm praying for a 10-day remand.
The investigating officer (IO) of the case Sub-Inspector Emdadul Haque Sheikh in the forwarding report said Firoz along with two of his armed accomplices went to Turki Associate around 6:15pm and sprayed bullets indiscriminately.
Ramzan Ali, 37, a client of the company, along with several others was wounded. Ramzan succumbed to his injuries later. The police report prayed for Firoz's remand to learn more about the whereabouts of the rest of the criminals.
In a separate forward report placed before the same court, DB said a criminal named Joy, suspected to be in India, demanded a large amount of money from Shahabuddin, the proprietor of Turki Associate.
Failing to realise the money, Joy sent several criminals to attack the manpower agency, the report said. It also mentioned the DB took up investigation to learn more about Joy and his whereabouts.
Meanwhile, BAIRA President MAH Selim MP yesterday at a press conference at Dhaka Reporters Unity office said vested quarters 'intentionally' implicated Firoz in the case.
He also condemned the law enforcement agencies for arresting him without valid grounds and not producing Firoz before the court even after 24 hours of his arrest. Police arrested Firoz in the early hours on Sunday at Zia International Airport.
Turki Associate in a press conference yesterday at Crime Reporters Association, Bangladesh office said they suspect Firoz of being involved in the attack as Shahabuddin told them that Joy asked, in his last conversation with him over telephone, to give the money to Firoz.
Turki Associate officials said their employer Shahabuddin does not have any rivalry with Firoz and they expressed their surprise at BAIRA's stand.