Two more suspects in the killing of Rifat Sharif, who was hacked to death in Barguna in front of his wife on Wednesday (Jun 26), have been detained by police, taking the number of arrests in the broad daylight killing to three.
"Two of the suspects have been identified as Chandan and Hasan while the identity of the third is yet to be confirmed," Barguna’s Superintendent of Police (SP) Maruf Hossain told Bangla Tribune.
A day after the horrific incident, the victim’s father Dulal Sharif started a murder case against 12 people on Thursday (Jun 27).
Sabbir Hossain Nayan has been named as the prime suspect and the mastermind while Chandan and Hasan were named as the fourth and ninth suspect, according to the case documents.
Meanwhile, police in Barishal have taken four people in to custody for their suspected involvements in the killing.
They were held from the central launch terminal around 8.30pm on Thursday, said Inspector Nurul Islam, the OC of Kotwali Police Station.
“The four, who hail from Barguna, were held on a tip-off. One of them matches the description of a suspect named in the murder case. We have asked the Barguna police to come in for identification,” he said.
According to witnesses, at least two people hacked Rifat with sharp weapons near the main entrance of Barguna Government College as his wife of two months Ayesha Akhter Minni watched in horror.
A critically injured Rifat was rushed to Barguna General Hospital before being moved to Barisal Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.
The video of the fatal attack — possibly captured by a surveillance camera— showed assailants armed with sharp weapons hacking Rifat indiscriminately while his wife was trying to save him.
The video went viral on the social media triggering a storm of protest.
(Bangla Tribune's Barguna Correspondent Sumon Shikdar and Barishal Correspondent Saleh Titu provided inputs for this report)
Barguna woman recounts fatal attack on husband
'My son’s killing was premeditated'
