Police Bureau of Investigation on Monday arrested one person in connection with the alleged assassination attempt on Liberation War Museum Trustee Dr Sarwar Ali. The arrested was identified as Md Forhad, 18, son of one Md Shahidullah, hailing from Netrokona district.
Getting information, a team of PBI arrested him from city’s Uttara area at 6am Monday. During the primary interrogation, arrested Forhad admitted that on January 4, accused Nazmul, Forhad and five other unidentified persons held a meeting at Ashkona Haj camp in the capital.
On the day of the incident, seven criminals led by Nazmul held the final meeting at Hotel Rose Valley of the Ashkona area. PBI also found their presence by scrutinizing CCTV footage. Nazmul briefed everyone about their roles. Later they attempted to enter the residence of Dr Sarwar as they had information that huge amount of cash money was kept at the residence. But seeing them, relatives and neighbors of Dr Sarwar shouted for help. Sensing trouble, the criminals left the scene hurriedly.
PBI is trying to nab all other criminals who were involved in the incident. Immediately after the incident, Sarwar, who is also the executive president of Chhayanat and chairman of the BIRDEM board of management, said that he was suspecting the attempt was probably a militant attack.
Asked why he did not think it was a robbery attempt, he said, “They would have seized our mobile phones first and then tie us up if they were robbers. But they did not do that.” The miscreants wielded knives and one of them called another person over phone to bring some things from the garage, he said.
“I think they wanted to carry out killing and film the incident to circulate later for inspiring militancy,” added Sarwar, who is also a physician and cultural activist. The miscreants had also tried to kill his wife Makhduma Nargis, daughter Sayma Ali and son-in-law Humayun Kabir. Two of his neighbours who had come forward to save them were also stabbed, he claimed.
But PBI finally said that it was actually a robbery attempt.