Rifat murder in broad daylight was plotted for seven days

Dhaka, June 28 – The gruesome killing of Barguna youth Rifat Sharif in front of his wife was pre-planned. It was at least seven days’ plot of the murderers. The final meeting was held on Tuesday (June 25th), the day before the murder.
Sources of the police, who are investigating the murder case of Rifat, told journalists after prliminary interrogation of three arrestees, who were listed among the accused named in a case filed over the incident by Rifat’s father Dulal Sharif, with Barguna Police Station.
Sources said, Nayan (Main accused) and his fellows were watching over the movement of Rifat since Wednesday (The day of murder) morning. They were standing in front of Barguna Government College in the notion that Rifat would come to meet with his wife Ayesha Siddiqui.
Rifat, 25, an internet service provider, was killed in broad daylight in front of his wife on Wednesday in Barguna town.
Meanwhile, Four youths who were detained from Barishal city Thursday night for their suspected involvement in the gruesome killing of Rifat Sharif were released from police custody early yesterday.
“We detained four youths from ‘Manami’ launch at Barishal lunch terminal last night on suspicion, but later they were released as we did not find their involvement in the murder,” said Moazzem Hossain Bhuiyan, deputy commissioner of Barishal Metropolitan Police (BMP).
A team of police arrested the youths from ‘Manami’ launch while it was heading to the capital Dhaka.
On the other hand, Police has issued red alerts at all international airports, land ports, and river ports across the country to stop those involved with the murder Rifat, from leaving the country.
“Bangladesh police is investigating the incident of Rifat’s murder with the utmost priority,” Assistant Inspector General of police (media and PR) Md Sohel Rana said yesterday.
“We have asked the authorities of all international airports, land ports, and river ports to issue red alerts to stop the suspected culprits from crossing the border,” he said.
The High Court, on Thursday, directed the government to issue the red alert so that the killers cannot leave the country, and so that they are brought to book as fast as possible.
Sohel further said alongside Barguna police, the Investigation Bureau of police, Criminal Investigation Department, Rapid Action Battalion, and Counter Terrorism and Transnational Unit, are all working together to bring the culprits to book.
He requested that anyone who might have information on the subject come forward to the police.
Meanwhile, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal yesterday reiterated that none of those involved in the brutal murder of Rifat Sharif would be spared.
“We have identified 13 people who were involved in the murder. Please be assured that none of them will be spared irrespective of their political identities,” Kamal said while talking to reporters at a programme at the Old Dhaka Central Jail.
Claiming that the police and the intelligence agencies are very much skilled, Kamal said none of the people involved in the murder would be able to escape arrest.
So far three of the accused in a case filed over the killing have been arrested. The rest of the accused will be arrested soon, the minister added.
Who are the killers?
The killers, who killed Rifat Sharif had long criminal records, and arrest history, but nothing happened to them. Every time they were put behind bars, they were freed on bail.
Ayesha Siddiqui told the media that the main accused Farajee, nephew of Barguna Zila Parishad Chairman Md Delwar Hossain, is a close accomplice of Nayan (another prime accused). He leads a gang involved in narcotics trade, mugging and other crimes in the town.
Locals know them for their “well decorated” faces in view of the rising trend of their crimes in Barguna, who appeared as notorious murderers in a busy street in broad daylight.
Nayan Bond and Rifat Farajee, the two machete-wielding youths were engaged in various crimes including drug dealing, and mugging in the small coastal town for a long time, locals said.
Even the newlywed wife of Rifat, who stood alone to try to save her husband from the attackers, could not get the courage to file a case against Nayan, who allegedly has been stalking the girl for long.
The attack that left her husband dead, was captured on a surveillance camera, that showed the youth being hacked in front of Barguna Government College around 10:30am, where Rifat went to drop his wife off.
Nayan used to disturb Ayesha Akhter Munni on her way to college, and pressured her to marry him, otherwise threatened to kill her family members. “He threatened to kill my brother, and hack my father, if I don’t talk to him,” she said.
“One day, he (Nayan) put a machete on my neck while threatening, and I informed this to my parents. Then, my family arranged my marriage with Rifat, hoping to get rid of this continuous trouble. But after the marriage, he started threatening my husband too,” she said.
Ayesha and her family could not file a case in fear. “Everyone knows he is a criminal. We did not want to fall in any trouble in the future.”
The other youth Rifat Farajee, who accompanied Nayon during the attack, is his neighbor and crime partner. Both Nayon and Rifat Farajee live at Dhanshiri Sarak of the town.
Nayan has been living in a house with his mother since his father died, and his elder brother Miraz went to Singapore to make a living. Gradually, the youth got involved with drug trading, and other heinous crimes.
On March 5, 2017, the Detective Branch of police conducted a drive at his house, and arrested him and one of his cohorts, Imam, along with two locally-made weapons, 300 pieces of Yaba, 12 bottle of Phensedyl, and 100 grams of heroin.
Police filed two cases against them, yet they were later freed on bail.
Police said Nayan is accused in some other cases too, but could not provide specific information.
Rifat Farajee’s criminal records show how a youth could become reckless day by day.
Son of Dulal Farajee, Rifat has been involved in crimes, from snatching to hacking, and was arrested a number of times. Hacking people was nothing new to him.
In July 2017, along with some of his friends, Rifat hacked his neighbor Tarikul Islam, following a feud over a trifling matter, although victim Tarikul avoided the road in front of their house for one and a half months, yet could not save himself ultimately. A case was filed against Rifat in this regard.
In another incident Rifat Farajee robbed 14 mobile phones from a students’ mess, and police could recover eleven of them after his father was arrested.
However, his father Dulal was released after he bought the rest of the three mobile phones for the victims. In 2017, Rifat snatched a mobile phone from an Imam of a local mosque, and sold it.
Following intervention by locals, Rifat gave Tk7000 to the victim, but the Imam had to flee the area for fear upon being threatened to be hacked.
The most daunting task that the notorious youth engaged in, was vandalising a police official’s house at DKP road, because his wife asked Rifat not to gather in front of their house with friends. Later he was arrested, and subsequently freed on bail.
Lastly, on Wednesday morning, the duo, along with some others hacked Rifat Sharif, 22, in front of his wife outside Barguna Government College.
Rifat was admitted to Barguna General Hospital, and later transferred to Sher-E-Bangla Medical College Hospital in Barisal, where he succumbed to his injuries. – Staff Reporter