Barguna, July 16 – Police interrogated Aysha Siddika Minni on Tuesday morning over the murder of her husband Rifat Sharif who was hacked to death in broad daylight in the district town on June 26.
A police team went to Minni’s house near Barguna Police Lines around 9:45am and took her to the SP office, said witnesses. She was later taken to the police lines for interrogation.
District police chief Maruf Hossain said Minni was brought to his office to record her deposition as a witness in the murder case in presence of investigation officer Md Humayun Kabir.
Police also sought Minni’s cooperation to identify the murderers.
The new development came after Rifat’s father Dulal Sharif and locals demanded Minni’s arrest alleging that she had a part in the murder of her husband.
At a press conference at Barguna Press Club on Saturday night, Dulal Sharif demanded the arrest of his daughter-in-law and investigate whether she had colluded with the killers.
He alleged that Minni concealed the matter that she was previously married to Sabbir Ahmed alias Nayon Bond, the prime accused of the Rifat murder case. Nayon was killed in a reported gunfight with police on July 2. Minni reportedly used to frequent Nayon’s house.
Besides, instead of trying to protect Rifat on the day, she was busy with herself and even ‘helped the killers’, alleged Dulal. He raised a 10-point allegation against Minni who has been made the first witness in the case.
Locals formed a human a human chain on the Barguna Press Club premises on Sunday morning demanding Minni’s arrest.
Shortly after the human chain, Minni claimed that propaganda was being spread against her to protect the murderers and called Dulal sick and imbalanced.
She alleged that a group has been out to implicate her in the case by misguiding her father-in-law so that the accused get released.
Minni rejected the claim that she had previously married Nayon. “Why hadn’t Nayon stood in my way when I married Rifat if I had earlier married him?”
Police have so far arrested 13 people in connection with the Rifat murder. Seven of them have confessed to their involvement in the murder.
The incident, caught on surveillance camera, went viral on social media. It showed criminals hacking Rifat in front of Barguna Govt College while his wife Minni was trying to save him.
Rifat was sent to Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital in Barishal where he died.
Dulal Sharif later filed a case against 12 people. – UNB
