Journalist Alif murder: Suspected shooter's nephew Apurbo remanded for four more days
A court has placed Apurbo (22), arrested in the case over the murder of journalist Lutfuzzaman Fakir, known as Alif, in Durgapur of Netrokona, on a further four-day remand. Senior Judicial Magistrate Nurul Amin Bhuiyan of the Durgapur Chowki Court passed the order on Tuesday (20 October) afternoon after a hearing.
Khandaker Shaker Ahmed, officer-in-charge (OC) of Durgapur Police Station, said: 'Apurbo was present at the scene when journalist Alif was killed. At the time, he also had a bag full of weapons with him.'
He said: 'Apurbo has admitted these facts during preliminary interrogation. We are verifying the information obtained from the interrogation.'
Police said Apurbo was arrested after midnight on Saturday in front of the old cinema hall in Durgapur municipal town. He is the son of Shamsher Ali of the Ukilpara area.
The OC said the arrested Apurbo is the nephew of the main suspected shooter in the killing. According to police, the main suspect is known as a professional killer, and the weapons he used were kept with Apurbo — which is why police consider the information from Apurbo important to the investigation.
On Sunday, the day after his arrest, Apurbo was produced before the court, which granted a one-day remand. He remained in police custody on Monday. After the first remand ended, he was produced again on Tuesday, when the court granted four more days of remand for the purposes of the investigation.
On 15 October, at around 8pm, journalist Alif was shot dead in the Telenjia area of Durgapur upazila. The killing of a journalist caused a widespread stir in the area.
The day after the incident, the victim's wife, Anandita Sangma, filed a murder case with Durgapur Police Station against seven to eight unidentified persons. Police are working to identify those involved in the killing.
Police claim Apurbo has admitted to being present at the scene and that his links to the murder weapon also emerged during preliminary interrogation, though the OC said those details are still being verified.
Investigators hope that fresh questioning during this remand may reveal more about the master plan behind the killing and about the shooter and others involved. Arresting the main suspected shooter is now the primary goal of the investigation.
