A Chattogram court on Wednesday placed former superintendent of police Babul Akter on a five-day remand in a case filed over the killing of his wife Mahmuda Khanam Mitu in 2016. Chattogram Metropolitan Magistrate Sarwar Zahan passed the order when police produced him before the court soon after a case was filed against him, said Babul’s counsel Anisul Islam. Earlier, in the day, a case was filed against eight people including Babul Akter as PBI found Babul’s involvement in the murder. Mitu’s father Mosharraf Hossain filed the case with Panchlaish Police Station on Wednesday noon, said officer-in-charge of the police station Abul Kashem Bhuiyan. In the case statement, Mosharraf claimed that Babul killed his wife over extra marital relationship. Also read: Mitu murder case: Former Chattogram SP Babul Akter detained The other accused in the case are—Musa, Kalu, Ehteshamul Bhola, Munir, Saidul Islam Shikdar alias Sakku, Shahjahan, Anwar and Wasim. Musa, who directly took part in the killing as per the directive of Babul , remained absconding. PBI also found that Babul made phone call and send messages to Musa after the murder of Mitu. However, PBI submitted the report of the case filed by Babul Akhter before the court. Already Babul’s two friends Gazi Al Mamun and Saiful Islam made confessional statement before the court under section 164, said PBI source. Earlier, PBI detained Babul Akter following an investigation that made it clear that he had involvement in his wife's murder. Also read: Babul among 8 sued in Mitu murder Santosh Kumar Chakma, the investigating officer of the case, said Babul himself came to the PBI office in Mansurabad on Tuesday afternoon to check the progress of the murder case. On June 5, 2016, unidentified assailants gunned down Babul's wife Mitu at the port city's GEC intersection while she was going to drop her son Mahir Akhter, 7, for a bus of Chittagong Cantonment Public School and College. Soon after the crime, Babul had filed a murder case with Panchlaish Police Station against three unidentified men. Later, police arrested four people, including Abu Nasur Gunu, Shah Zaman alias Robin, Md Anwar and Md Motaleb Mia alias Wasim, from different places in connection with the murder. Of them, Anwar and Wasim made confessional statements before a magistrate, implicating seven people, including Musa who directly took part in the killing, Mohammad Rashed and Nabi. Also read: Ex-SP Babul Akter finally held over 2016 murder of wife Mitu During the course of the probe, police had also arrested "arms supplier" Ehteshamul Haque Bhola and his assistant Md Monir and seized a pistol from their possession. Police had also arrested Musa's elder brother Saidul Shikder Shakur and Shahjahan for providing the motorbike that was used in the murder. But on July 4, 2016, Nabi and Rashed were killed in a gunfight with police in Rangunia. The case was transferred to the PBI in 2019, after Mitu's father, himself a retired police officer, filed a complaint against the CMP's mishandling of the case. Mitu's father had, in fact, accused Babul of being directly involved in the murder case. "He (Babul) should be implicated in the murder case... if he's not, we'll go to the court,” he said.

The Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) has arrested former Chattogram Superintendent of Police (SP) Babul Akter in connection with the 2016 murder of his wife Mitu in broad daylight in the Port City. The arrest took place Tuesday, when he was taken to Chattogram from Dhaka for interrogation by PBI. PBI inspector Santosh Kumar Chakma said Babul Akhter was interrogated at the PBI metro regional office in Pahartali before he was arrested. On the morning of June 5, 2016, Mitu was hacked to death at the GEC Mor area in Chattogram as she went to drop her son at his schoolbus pickup point. In the immediate aftermath of the incident, a narrative was fed by Akter, a highly-decorated officer for his role in the police's long-running effort to eliminate extremism and militancy, and his supporters to depict Mitu's death as a revenge killing by the extremist elements - despite practically no precedent to suggest such a motive.  Akter, who was in Dhaka at the time, returned to Chattogram and filed a murder case against unidentified persons at Pachlaish Police Station, alleging his wife may have been killed for his anti-terrorist activities. Also read: Kurigram man arrested for raping 7-year-old girl The case however took a sensational turn after investigators uncovered the involvement of a 'source' - underworld elements used by police officers to keep tabs on society's criminal underbelly - used by Akter.   Although his fellow police officers learned enough at the time reportedly to refuse working with Akter, he was let off the hook with merely the loss of his career in law enforcement.  The case was transferred to the PBI from the Chattogram Metropolitan Police in 2019, after Mitu's father, himself a retired police officer, filed a complaint against the CMP's handling of the case.  Akter was called in for questioning a number of times by PBI since the transfer, but never placed under arrest. The PBI is yet to reveal what changed to compel the step taken today.

Police here on Sunday arrested a man from Kandirpara area of Cumilla city over the killing of his wife in Chattogram in 2018.