Suspended gardener confesses to attacking UNO Wahida

A gardener has confessed to involvement in the attack on Dinajpur's Ghoraghat Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Wahida Khanam and her father.

The gardener named Robiul Islam, 43, was a government employee and he was detained on September 11 on suspicion of being one of the attackers, said Devdas Bhattacharya, said police.

Robiul was suspended earlier for stealing Tk50,000 from the UNO's bag around four months ago.

"Robiul confessed to police about his involvement in the attack. We found some evidence based on information obtained from him. We are also matching his statement with what was seen in the CCTV footage," said Devdas Bhattacharya, deputy inspector general of Police (Rangpur range) at a press briefing on Saturday afternoon.

Regarding the motive of the attack, he said police are investing the matter and will comment on it only after finishing the investigation.

After the press briefing, police produced Robiul at court with a 10-day remand plea. The Dinajpur court of Justice Ismail Hossain granted six-day remand. 

Earlier on September 4, a joint team of police and Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) arrested Asadul, the prime accused of the case. He was placed on 7-day remand that ended today. 

When asked about Asadul's confession about his direct involvement in the attack on the UNO, the Deputy DIG said Asadul might have been misguided.

Besides Robiul and Asadul, the night guard of the UNO's residence Nadim Hossain Polash was also arrested. 

When asked if anyone else was involved in the attack, Deputy DIG Devdas Bhattacharya said they could not say anything about it before finishing the investigation. 

Meanwhile, Dr Md Zahed Hossain, professor and head of Department of Neurotrauma at the National Institute of Neurosciences and Hospital, on Saturday said surgical stitches of UNO Wahida have been cut.  

"The right side of her body has improved. She can move her right elbow, as well as the right leg," said Dr Zahed.

Earlier on September 3, a group of miscreants entered the UNO's government quarter through a ventilator using a ladder between 1:05am to 4:25am, and attacked UNO Wahida and her father. 

When both of them fainted due to blood loss, the miscreants thought they were dead and fled.

Wahida's elder brother Sheikh Farid Uddin filed a case on September 3 night against 4-5 unknown people at Ghoraghat Police Station over the incident.