Shawdesh desk:

Law enforcers have made no significant headway in the investigation into three murder incidents in the capital, which is letting the criminals get off scot-free.

The killing incidents took place in the capital from nine months to two years back. The victims’ families are going to the investigation officers to seek justice.

The victims are Dr Kazi Sabira Rahman Lipi, North South University student Sadman Sakib Rafi and Stamford University student Rubayet Sharmin Rumpa.

The Detective Branch (DB) and the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) are investigating the cases filed against unknown people over the killings.

On May 30, 2021, police recovered the body of Dr Lipi, who was a doctor of Green Life Hospital, from her flat at a house on First Lane at Kalabagan in the capital.  The body bore burns and wounds.

About 36 hours after the murder, Rezaul Hasan Majumder Jewel, cousin of the deceased, filed a murder case against unknown people with Kalabagan Police Station. Dhaka Metro North Unit of PBI is now investigating the case.

When contacted, Abu Yusuf, additional superintendent of police of the PBI, told the Daily Sun that they were working with the case and yet to make any progress.

After the incident, different units of police interrogated at least 50 people, who are residents of the house and relatives of the deceased, but found nothing, said sources in police.  The mobile phone the victim used was sent to the CID’s laboratory, but nothing yielded from it, they said.

Police are yet to indentify a man who used to come to the flat of the victim. After the murder, police collected two cigarette butts from the room of the doctor. Police then suspected that the man puffed cigarettes and left the butts.

The body of Rafi was found at Hatirjheel Lake on January 14 last year, one day after he went missing after leaving his residence at Vatara in the capital. The autopsy report said that Rafi has been suffocated to death.

Later, a murder case was filed against unknown people with Hatirjheel Police Station. DB Tejgaon Division is now investigating the case.

Monowara Hossain Monika, mother of the victim, told the Daily Sun that police could not trace the killers.

When contacted, Shahadat Hossain Suma, additional deputy commissioner (Tejgaon Zonal Team) of DB police, told the Daily Sun that after the incident, local police, counter terrorism and detective police worked with the matter.

“We are now investigating the case, we have already interrogated suspects, but found nothing,” he said.

“Although the autopsy report said that Rafi has been suffocated to death, it does not describe any injury marks on the body.  I will talk to the doctors of Forensic Department of Dhaka Medical College Hospital to know details about it,” he said.

“I need to know the exact time of death. I will try to know the time from the doctors,” he said.

On December 4, 2019, the body of Rumpa was recovered from in front of a house at Siddeshwari in Ramna. After that, her father Rokon Uddin, inspector of Special Branch of police, filed a murder case against unknown people with Ramna Police Station.

Mohammad Salauddin, sub-inspector DB Ramna Division, is now investigating the case.

Despite a long time, police could not find evidence that she was murdered.

Salaudin said, “We are yet to find any evidence that proves the girl was killed.”