Youth arrested in connection with Barguna Rifat murder

Dhaka, June 27 – A youth was arrested from BKP area in Barguna town yesterday in connection with the Wednesday’s killing of a man in front of his wife.
The arrest comes after a video went viral on social media depicting the victim, identified as Rifar Sharif, 23, was being stabbed indiscriminately by a group of assailants in broad daylight while his wife was frantically trying to save him. Social media went abuzz demanding the arrest and maximum punishment of the killers.
Abir Mohmmad Hossain, officer-in-charge of Barguna Sadar Police Station, identified the arrestee as Chandan. He was arrested around 8am. Dulal Sharif, the father of the victim, filed a case against 12 people in the morning, the OC said.
After the attack, Rifat died of excessive bleeding from six deep wounds on his body, said a doctor at Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital yesterday.
“The victim received injuries on his throat, head and chest and most of his important veins were severed that prompted his death,” Assistant Professor Jamil of Surgery Department told reporters after conducting an autopsy on Rifat’s body.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has already ordered the authorities concerned to bring to book those involved in the killing, Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader quoted the premier as saying.
“The prime minister has ordered to arrest the killers as soon as possible and make them stand trial,” Quader said while speaking to the media about the incident.
Terming the incident as ‘tragic’, Quader, also the transport minister, said the killing was an isolated incident.
The home minister, meanwhile, termed the murder of Rifat ‘unfortunate’ and said none of those involved in the murder will be spared.
“All the killers will be brought to book. Police have already arrested two people in connection with the murder,” he said while talking to reporters after attending an award giving ceremony of Bangladesh Police Women Network (BPWN) at International Convention Center in Chattogram city.
“However, I don’t think that murder incident demonstrates the overall deterioration in the country’s law and order situation,” he said.
“Police have started their work to catch the offenders. The capacity of the police force has changed much comparing to what it was ten years back,” he added.
The grisly attack has also claimed the attention of the High Court (HC). The HC yesterday ordered the government to issue red alert at all the borders of the country to prevent escape of people those involved in Rifat killing.
An HC division bench comprising Justice FRM Nazmul Ahasan and Justice KM Kamrul Kader passed the order expressing its dissatisfaction over the government’s failure to nab the main accused of the murder.
The court expressed its dissatisfaction when the state counsel informed the judges about the government steps taken into the incident.
“The incident is very sad. Tell inspector general of police to issue red alert at borders, so that they (killers) cannot cross the borders,” the court told Deputy Attorney General Abdullah-Al-Mahmud Bashar.
“A man was hacked to death in broad daylight on the street. None but his wife came forward to stop the killers. They were making videos, but did not come forward. It is the failure of people. None protested. If five had come forward, killers would not get such guts,” the court observed.
The court came up with the observations as Supreme Court lawyer Barrister Ruhul Quddus Kazal drew court’s attention to this barbaric incident that took place on June 26.
The wife of the deceased, Ayesha Siddiqua, was all tears while talking to reporters yesterday
“The attackers killed my husband right in front of me. I tried my best to save him, but I couldn’t. Not a single person came forward to help us when the attack took place,” Ayesha lamented as she wept remembering the attack on her husband.- Staff Reporter