MP Azim murder: Three arrestees placed on 8-day remand

A Dhaka court today (24) granted the police 8-day remand for three accused arrested in connection with the murder of Jhenaidah-4 MP Anwarul Azim in Kolkata.

Metropolitan Magistrate Dilruba Afroz Tithi of the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's Court passed the order in the afternoon, sources at the Detective Branch of police told The Business Standard.

The arrestees include main hitman Shimul Bhuiyan alias Amanullah, Mostafiz and a woman.

A team of the DB of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) produced the arrestees before the court, seeking a 10-day remand for each.

MP Azim was murdered in Kolkata recently. Both Indian and Bangladeshi law enforcement agencies are investigating the murder.

West Bengal CID today said they have arrested two suspects in connection with the murder.

One of the arrested, Jihad Hawladar, 24, is a professional butcher and was arrested from Mumbai, confirmed a Bangladesh police source citing West Bengal CID sources.

Jihad Hawladar, of Barakpur union in Digholia upazila of Khulna, is an illegal immigrant living in Mumbai since long and has been working as a butcher there.

He was hired by the prime accused Akhtaruzzaman, a US Citizen of BD origin, and brought to Kolkata from Mumbai two months ago, said police. According to sources, he was given a portion of the Rs5 crore which the prime accused spent to kill MP Azim.

He was staying in a hotel near Kolkata Airport, said police sources.

West Bengal CID detained another person named Zahid in a late-night drive from Bongaon area yesterday (23 May) for his alleged involvement in MP Azim murder.

In a separate drive last evening, a CID team visited Krishnamati village in Bhangar near Kolkata in search of possible limbs of Azim, whose body was dismembered and dumped in various places near Kolkata.

CID sources stated that they could not verify immediately whether the team found any body parts.

However, they found Zahid, a resident of Bongaon near the Bangladesh border. He met one of the prime suspects in the MP murder case, according to the West Bengal's CID.

Zahid's name appeared in the FIR filed by Azim's family in Dhaka, prompting the West Bengal CID to act on the information.

The investigation aims to determine why Zahid met the suspect and their discussion topics. The officer added, "It is suspected that Zahid supplied logistics, including the car and the flat at New Town to the assailants of the lawmaker from Jhenidah-4."

Previously, four people had been arrested in the case in Bangladesh.

MP Azim, who went missing from Kolkata on 14 May, was found dead in Kolkata on Wednesday (22 May).