A total of 11 people have been arrested in connection with the murder of Shahriar Alam Shammo, a leader of the BNP's student wing and student of Dhaka University, Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Commissioner Sheikh Md Sazzat Ali said on Tuesday.
Of the arrestees, eight were detained by the Detective Branch (DB) while the remaining three were arrested by local police stations, he said at a press briefing held at the DMP Media Centre.
The eight arrested by DB are Rabbi alias "Kobutor" Rabbi, Mehedi Hasan, Nahid Hasan Papel, Sohag, Hridoy Islam, Robin, Sujon Sarker, and Ripon.
The DMP Commissioner said police were treating the case with utmost importance and carrying out extensive investigations.
Among the accused, Nahid Hasan Papel has confessed to his involvement in the killing and recorded his statement under Section 164 of the CrPc, the code of criminal procedure, before a Dhaka court on Tuesday, the DMP commissioner added.
The court granted five-days' remand for Rabbi and Mehedi. On the previous day, Sohag, Hridoy Islam, and Robin were produced before the court, which also placed them on remand. Ripon gave a confessional statement to the court, while Sujon Sarker was sent to jail.
Responding to questions from reporters about the motive behind the killing, DB Joint Commissioner Mohammad Nasirul Islam pointed to a drug syndicate operating in the park, led by one of the accused, Mehedi.
Borders fully safe and protected, reaffirms Home Adviser
He said Mehedi, who is in custody, guided police to the Mazar area inside the park, from where a switchblade used in the murder was recovered. According to current findings, Rabbi was the one who stabbed Shammo.
When asked if Shammo had any connection with the drug dealers, the DB official said initial findings suggest that Shammo and two of his classmates had gone to the park to get food and the incident occurred spontaneously.
“The investigation is still ongoing. So far, it appears to have been a spontaneous incident. We are looking into whether there are any deeper reasons behind the killing,” he said.
Responding to a separate question about a recent murder in Badda, DMP Commissioner Sazzat said, “Please give us some time. We don’t have a magic wand to solve every case immediately after it happens.”
He said police take all necessary preventive measures to combat crime but added, “Not all incidents can be prevented through such measures. Crime happens in every society around the world.”