 Rajshahi University Islami Chhatra Shibir President Mahbubul Alam Shalehi, a key suspect in the killing of Prof S Taher Ahmed, is still not arrested despite his public appearance, giving rise to suspicions that authorities are reluctant to arrest him.
| Reeeeeeally? That's never happened before, has it? Especially in Bangla... |
Rajshahi Metropolitan Police Commissioner Nayeem Ahmed has confirmed five people including Shalehi are found to be involved in the murder. "Four were arrested and we are looking for Shalehi."
"Didja try his house?"
"He ain't there. The guy that answered the phone said he wudn't." |
Police sources said they could not arrest Shalehi even after he took part in a Shibir rally due to "a deliberate delay" by the government high-ups in giving a green signal in this connection. The delay was a result of the pressure by Jamaat-e-Islami, a major component of the four-party ruling alliance, they added. The police on February 5 sought the government nod to arrest Mohiuddin and Shalehi, who the arrestees -- Jahangir, Abdus Salam and Nazmul -- named as the masterminds. The approval for Mohiuddin's arrest came just hours before the confession made by Jahangir before a magistrate on February 7. But the police had to wait five more days to get the nod to arrest Shalehi. However, the police delayed their efforts to arrest the Shibir leader apparently due to threats of creating violence by top Jamaat-Shibir leaders.
Police officials said there are similarities in the killings of Prof Taher and his economics department colleague Prof Yunus, who was killed in December 2004. In both the cases the suspected killers were found to have had links with Shibir, student wing of Jamaat, and were sheltered by party's top leaders. "We've noticed strong efforts by Jamaat-Shibir leaders to save Shalehi although confessions of three held killers go against him," observed a senior police official. |