The father of Barguna’s slain Rifat Sharif has called for legal steps to be taken against his daughter-in-law Ayesha Siddiqa Minni’s parents.
Abdul Halim Dulal Sharif made the call on Sunday (Jul 21) while addressing a media briefing at Barguna Press Club.
“A group styled ‘007’ killed my son in broad daylight in front of Barguna Government College after which I started the case,” he said.
"Everyone praised Minni’s role in the first video footage that was released. Hence I made her the number 1 witness,” he added.
He said that the second CCTV footage, however, raised questions about her role and her “real face” was revealed by the mother of Sabbir Hossain Nayan alias Nayan Bond, the key suspect killed in a reported ‘shootout.’
“I looked around at a few places and found Minni’s involvement with the murder. So did the police who arrested her afterwards.
“She confessed in front of a court which shows that she is the one who planned the murder,” he said.
Dulal Sharif said that some media agencies were leading propaganda against him and added, “I lost my son and instead of standing beside me, they are bent on saving the killers.”
Claiming that Minni was married to Nayan and her family didn’t disclose it before she married Rifat, he said, “This marriage became the end of my son. I want Minni’s parents to be brought to book.”
A group of assailants stabbed Rifat Sharif to death in front of his wife Minni outside Barguna Government College on the morning of Jun 26.
A video of the attack later went viral on the internet, which sparked outrage throughout the country. Two men were seen hacking Rifat with sharp weapons as Minni desperately tried to save him.
He was taken to Barishal Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital where he later succumbed to his injuries.
In the same day, the victim’s father, Dulal Sharif, started a case against 12 people, including key suspects Sabbir Ahmed Nayan alias Nayan Bond, who was later killed in a ‘shootout’ and Rifat Farazi.
Minni turned from the prime witness to an accused after another CCTV footage of the incident emerged.
On Jul 14, citing the newfound video footage, Rifat's father Abdul Halim Dulal held a press conference demanding the arrest of his daughter-in-law in connection to his son's killing.
Two days after on Tuesday (Jul 16), police showed her arrested in the case after an interrogation.
She was put on a five-day remand the next day and confessed to her involvement in the murder one day after the remand.