B'desh court indicts 35 people in Narayanganj killings

A Bangladeshi court today indicted 35 people, including a former city councillor extradited from India and three sacked Rapid Action Battalion officials, for the brutal murders of seven persons in Narayanganj in 2014.
"Twenty five suspects are members of RAB and the others, including the prime suspect of the case, Nur Hossain, are civilians," public prosecutor Wazed Ali Khokon told PTI.
Twenty three suspects were today produced before the court of Narayanganj's District and Sessions Judge Syed Enayet Hossain who fixed February 25 date for witness depositions.
Twelve others would be tried in absentia.
Seven men, including Narayanganj City Councillor Nazrul Islam and lawyer Chandan Kumar Sarkar, were abducted from Dhaka-Narayanganj link road in April 2014. Their bodies were found floating in the Shitalakkhya River several days later.

Today's hearing camenearly three months after Hossain was extradited from India. He had fled the country to evade the trial. He is believed to be the mastermind of the murder of seven persons including a fellow councilor and a lawyer.

India's West Bengal police arrested Hossain shortly after he fled the country. Border Security Force men handed Hossain over to Border Guard Bangladesh on November 12, 2015 after he was freed from a jail in West Bengal on a court order.
Hossain allegedly bribed several officers of RAB, which is mainly commanded by army officers on deputation, for carrying out the murders.

Subsequent investigations disclosed that 23 RAB personnel, including a Lt Col and two navy officers, were involved in abduction and killing of the seven persons.
The officers were immediately sacked on orders of their superior authorities and police arrested them.
The slain councillor's father-in-law alleged Hossain had bribed the RAB officials to eliminate him in exchange of Taka 6 crore (USD 1 = Taka80), pointing his finger to Sayeed Mohammad, who was RAB's commander in Narayanganj.