Ctg customs officer strangled

Akbar Saeed Chowdhury, 40, an inspector of Customs Excise and Vat Commissionerate in Chittagong, was strangled to death by unidentified criminals, sources said.

Akbar was also an elected member of the executive committee of Bangladesh Customs Excise and Vat, the election of which was held on August 25.

Receiving an anonymous call at around 11:30pm, the police rushed to Nasirabad Residential Area only to find the body lying on a road near an underconstruction building. His identity card was found in his pocket, but his mobile phone was missing.

The body was taken to Chittagong Medical College Hospital (CMCH) morgue yesterday morning where the doctors performed autopsy on the body. Later, his body was taken to his village home at Machhimpur in Feni for burial.

His relatives said Akbar along with his wife and son went to Mirersarai at 2:00pm on Tuesday to attend the funeral of one of his relatives and came back to his residence at Sugandha Residential Area at 9:40pm.

He also talked to his mother over cell phone at around 10:30pm, they said, adding that the killers might have called him out of his house after 10:30pm.

His relatives suspect that Akbar, who was honest and sincere, might have been killed either for professional or organisational reasons. During his posting at Benapole, Akbar conducted some successful drives against a syndicate of smugglers who on several occasions threatened him of dire consequences.

They also demanded a fair investigation into the murder.

Akbar's colleagues said he was a good and honest officer and a popular figure in the office and the organisation.

Panchlaish Police said they have started preliminary investigation into the killing.

Akbar is survived by his wife Shaninur Anwar Elly, only son Abrar Saeed Chowdhury, 7, two brothers, two sisters and mother Fatema Saeed Chowdhury.