Architect Imtiaz murder: 3 arrested, 1 confesses

The Detective Branch of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police on Sunday arrested three persons accused in the murder of architect Imtiaz Mohammad Bhuiyan in Manikganj, Sirajganj, and Narayanganj. Out of them, one has confessed to the crime.

According to the detectives, the arrestees were Ehsan Megh, Anwar Hossain, and Millat Hossain Munna.

Accused Megh gave a statement under Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.

Munshiganj Senior Judicial Magistrate Rahima Akhter granted a four-day remand to the other two accused in the case.

DB police sent the accused to the court around 2:30pm, Munshiganj Court Police Inspector Jamal Hossain informed The Business Standard.

He said the DB Police applied to the court for a ten-day remand, but the court granted a four-day remand.

DB stated that two more suspects, Arafat Foysal Ahmed Rahat and Alif, are still at large.

According to the DB, the five murder suspects fled to India following the crime to escape arrest.

Architect Imtiaz was trapped, blackmailed for money, and killed by a dating app-based blackmailing racket in the capital, BD chief Harun-or-Rashid said at a media briefing on Monday.

He said the racket is connected by a dating app named Grindr.

The racket asks them for a secret meeting in an apartment where the ring members catch them in compromising positions and record it.

Later, they blackmail victims for money by threatening to publish the video online, said Harun.

Imtiaz went missing after leaving his Kalabagan home on 7 March.

The victim's wife Fahmida Akhter filed a general diary with Kalabagan police station on 8 March in that connection.

His body was recovered from Munshiganj on 8 March and buried the next day as an unidentified person.

Fahmida and other relatives identified the body after it was exhumed in the presence of an executive magistrate and police on 21 March.

The DB officer said Imtiaz developed a relationship with Alif through the Grindr app. Alif asked Imtiaz to meet in the apartment at Kalabagan Crescent Road on 7 March. The flat is owned by the accused Arafat.

Millat, Anwar, and Arafat Ehsan made a video recording of Imtiaz in a compromising situation and demanded a huge amount of money from the architect. Imtiaz refused to pay any amount and subsequently the accused started beating him indiscriminately and killed him, said DB officer Harun.

The body was dumped at Sirajdikhan of Munshiganj by Ehsan.

The DB official also said the accused then fled to India by Akhaura border of Brahmanbaria. Tipped-off, Bangladesh Police informed Indian Police about the border crossing.

Indian Police also tried to arrest them there. The accused then tried to take shelter there but got rejected due to a request from DB officials.

The accused then returned to Bangladesh and tried to go into hideouts and later three of the accused got nabbed by DB.