Cops clueless about New Market trader murder

Detectives say all the helmeted individuals fought during the Dhaka College-New Market clash are terrorists and they must be brought to book.

Police say they have not been able to identify the assailants responsible for the death of Mohammad Morsalin, a shopkeeper who was critically injured during the fierce clashes between students and traders in Dhaka's New Market area on 19 April.

"Initially, the evidence suggests the New Market trader was struck by a brick. But it is not clear where the brick came from," Mahbub Alam, joint commissioner of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police's Detective Branch, told a media briefing on Wednesday.

"Those who threw bricks at each other and led such activities will have to take the responsibility. We are trying to identify them," he said.

A deliveryman Nahid Mia was hacked during the daylong clashes between the students and traders on 19 April. The 18-year-old man died at night while undergoing treatment at Dhaka Medical College Hospital.

Morsalin was injured in front of Nurjahan Market around noon that day. He died two days later at Dhaka Medical College Hospital.

DMP Joint Commissioner Mahbub Alam said they have identified Nahid's killers. "We identified the assailants after screening the footage closely. Police subsequently carried out raids. Many students have gone home as the dormitories are now closed, while others are in hiding."

He said several detective teams are working to arrest those in hiding, and soon there will be "good results".

Police Monday said they have identified six students who were involved in beating and stabbing Nahid Mia to death. All the assailants are from Dhaka

College and are leaders and activists of Dhaka College Chhatra League.

Closed-circuit television (CCTV) camera footage, photos and details of a group of armed individuals linked to the death of Nahid started making round-ups in social media and made the headlines subsequently.

According to media reports, the suspects are – Bashar Emon, Shahadat Hossain, Qaiyum, Sujan Sarker, Shaheen Sadeq Mirza and Kausar Hamid.

One of the footage shows a group of helmeted individuals wielding machetes chopping Nahid even though he was lying motionless in front of a market.

Asked about the political identities of those identified, the DMP joint commissioner said, "We have not yet confirmed their political identities, and we are not supposed to be looking for them either. Currently, there is no Chhatra League committee there [in Dhaka College]. Those who ran amok wearing helmets are terrorists and they will be brought to book."

On the night of 18 April, deadly clashes erupted between Dhaka College students and New Market traders, which continued the next day too leaving two dead and at least 50 injured.

Five cases, including two murder cases, have been lodged so far. Police could not arrest anyone except a local BNP leader Makbul Hossain in those cases.

Fouad Hasan, former joint convener of Dhaka College Chhatra League, said there are several groups of the student wing of the ruling party in Dhaka College.  

"I do not know the suspects and I am not sure whether they actually belong to Chhatra League," he claimed.

In a separate development, a Dhaka court Wednesday sent BNP leader Makbul to jail as police produced him before the court after a three-day quizzing.