Mysterious cases: How Azad became murder suspect from his prison cell

Can someone be in two places at the same time? If the murder case against him is credible, then Abul Kalam Azad can.

He is alleged to have committed murder on 5 August in Uttara. Yet, all evidence attests that Azad was confined to a prison cell on that chaotic day.

"I was in jail at the time," Azad told TBS, visibly bewildered. "How could I possibly be implicated in a murder that happened while I was behind bars?" 

Azad, a former expatriate, was arrested during the turbulent times of anti-discrimination protests by Turag police on 23 July while standing outside his home.

CCTV footage from that night shows police officers approaching Azad outside his home, speaking briefly, and taking him away in a vehicle. The footage also captures him carrying medication for his wife, who had recently undergone a caesarean surgery.

Azad was later imprisoned on charges of being a BNP activist.

He secured bail on 8 August, only to be shockingly named as a suspect in a murder that occurred on 5 August, while he was still incarcerated.

Now, Azad lives in constant fear of being arrested at any moment, again.

An analysis of the case documents reveals more suspicious details. 

The case filed with Uttara West Police Station states that one Alamgir Hossain was shot in the head on 5 August in front of a bank in Uttara, with his body buried the next day in his ancestral village in Noakhali.

The victim's mother, Aleya Begum, filed a murder case on 6 October, naming Sheikh Hasina, Sheikh Rehana, and 288 others, along with 200 to 300 unidentified individuals, as defendants. 

Azad is listed as the 258th accused.

However, a visit to the listed address found no one named Aleya living there, and no deaths had occurred during the incidents of July or August. 

The property caretaker, Almas Ali, said, "No one named Aleya lives here, nor has anyone died in our house during the protests."

Attempts to contact the complainant's mobile number yielded no response as it was switched off. Further investigation by TBS showed that the birth registration number and date of birth in the case documents are also fraudulent. 

The complainant's village address is recorded as Amirabad in Sonaimuri Thana, Noakhali. 

TBS reached out to local residents at the listed village address, but they reported that no one named Aleya lives there and that no Alamgir Hossain from the area has died. In fact, no residents from that village perished during the student protests. This was further confirmed by local Union Parishad member Md Gulzar.

What the police say

Arafat Mithun, former sub-inspector of Turag Police Station, confirmed Azad's timeline. "He was taken into custody on 23 July and remained in jail until his bail was granted on 8 August" as the case was later dismissed.

When questioned as to how Azad became a murder suspect while in incarceration, Mithun replied, "That's something the Uttara West Police Station can explain."

When contacted, investigating officer Sub-Inspector Abdul Halim of Uttara West Police Station stated, "The case is under investigation, and I can't provide any details until it is complete." 

Regarding how Azad, who was in jail, became a suspect, he added, "That's something the complainant can explain."

When pressed about the fraudulent information in the case, Halim said, "The officer in charge (OC) knows everything. Please ask him. I don't have any information."

TBS attempted to contact the Officer-in-Charge of Uttara West Police Station, Md Hafizur Rahman, but he did not respond to multiple calls or text messages.

Finally, TBS reached out to Rounok Jahan, deputy commissioner of Police for Uttara Division of Dhaka Metropolitan Police. She stated, "If such an incident has occurred, it will be investigated. We haven't filed any complaints against him [Azad]. If the investigation doesn't find evidence linking the accused, their names won't appear in the charge sheet."

Tawohidul Haque, Associate Professor and Crime Expert at the Institute of Social Welfare and Research of Dhaka University, remarked, "There have been instances in the past where false suspects have been named in cases. This recurrence is very unfortunate. A thorough investigation into this matter is essential. If this incident is proved to be true, those responsible must be held accountable."