Dubious police role in sensational Khulna murder cases

Different quarters have expressed surprise at the role of police allegedly to save the godfathers and masterminds.

The killers of BNP leader Amir Azam, journalist Manik Saha and Awami League leaders Manzurul Imam, Manjur Morshed Labu and Kamrul Islam Kutu will possibly escape due to the role of police, they apprehended while talking to this correspondent on Saturday.

They were murdered by hired killers, police sources said.

Khulna city Awami League president Advocate Manjurul Imam was gunned down on August 25 last year. Charge sheet in the case was submitted in February against four accused persons.

But the complainant, Manjurul Imam's son Rumi, rejected the charge sheet and filed a naraji petition with the court, alleging that it did not have names of culprits who planned the murder and financed the killers.

The court is yet to order re-investigation. So there is not progress in trial of the case.

City Awami League leader Kamrul Islam Kutu was killed in bomb attack on September 4 last year near the party office. But IO is yet to track down the culprits who hired the killers.

Awami League leader Manzur Morshed Labu succumbed to bomb attack on January 31 this year. Six accused have been chargesheeted in the murder case. But the main culprits who planned and financed the killers were not named in the charge sheet, according to sources close to the complainant. Labu's wife is the complainant in the case.

Journalist Manik Saha was killed in bomb attack on January 15 this year near Khulna Press Club. The charge sheet in the case was pressed against 13 people on April 13. But it does not have names of the masterminds, the complainant claimed while taking to this correspondent.

BNP leader Amir Azam Khan was killed in a bomb attack on January 29 this year, allegedly by outlaws.

After arrest, the outlaw who killed the BNP leader confessed to police that he got Tk 2000 for the murder. He also named the masterminds. But IO in the charge sheet did not name persons who gave the money to the killer.

This is quite unfortunate that investigating officers are saving masterminds of the sensational murders due to political reason, said prominent lawyer Advocate Feroze Ahmed.

When asked, acting police commissioner Sajjad Ali expressed his inability to point out reasons for not mentioning names of masterminds of these murders committed by hired killers.