BNP Leader Arrested in Muradnagar Triple Murder Case, Family Claims Conspiracy

In Cumilla’s Muradnagar, the joint convener of the upazila BNP, Shah Alam Sarker, was arrested by the District Detective Branch (DB) of police in connection with the brutal murder of a woman and her two children. The arrest took place on Monday night around 8:30 PM in Peer Kashimpur village, Akubpur Union of the upazila.

Shah Alam, a resident of the same area and a former chairman of Akubpur Union Parishad, was named in the case. According to the DB police’s investigating officer, preliminary investigations indicated Shah Alam’s involvement in the incident, leading to his arrest as a named accused in the triple murder case.

However, Shah Alam’s son, Shah Aziz Sarker, joint convener of the upazila Chhatra Dal, claimed his father is not the actual accused in the case. He stated, “The DB police say my father was arrested in the triple murder case and is a named accused. But the Shah Alam listed as accused number 25 in the case is 40 years old, while my father is over 70. Moreover, there’s hardly anyone in the area who doesn’t know my grandfather’s name. So why was the accused’s father’s name listed as unknown? This is a complete conspiracy. My father is being harassed for political reasons.” Muradnagar Upazila BNP convener Mahiuddin also described the arrest as a conspiracy, telling Prothom Alo, “I hadn’t heard that Shah Alam was involved in this incident. There’s no CCTV footage showing him at the scene before, during, or after the incident. I believe there’s a mistake somewhere. He’s being unnecessarily harassed in his old age.” The plaintiff, Rikta Akter, stated she was unsure whether Shah Alam was present at the crime scene. Speaking to Prothom Alo on Tuesday morning, she said, “When I learned that someone named Shah Alam from Peer Kashimpur was involved, I included his name in the case. Since I wasn’t entirely sure, I listed the accused’s father’s name as unknown. The DB police are investigating the case. I don’t want to harass anyone unjustly. If the investigation proves his involvement, let him be arrested; otherwise, I don’t want an innocent person to be harassed.” Nearly a month after the incident, the prime accused, Shimul Billah, remains at large, prompting Rikta to express frustration and fear. She said, “If Shimul isn’t arrested soon, I could be attacked or even killed at any moment. I demand his immediate arrest.” Sub-Inspector (SI) Nayan Kumar Chakraborty of the District DB stated that Shah Alam was arrested based on evidence of his involvement found during the preliminary investigation. So far, 10 accused have been arrested in the case, with nine already in Cumilla Central Jail. Shah Alam is being processed for court appearance, and efforts to apprehend the remaining accused are ongoing.

On July 3, a mother, Rokhsana Begum (53), her son Rasel Mia (35), and daughter Taspia Akter (29), were beaten and hacked to death in Koraibari village of the upazila. The following night, Rikta Akter, Rokhsana’s elder daughter, filed a case at Bangra Bazar Thana, naming 38 individuals, including Shimul Billah, the chairman of Akubpur Union Parishad, as the prime accused, along with 20-25 unidentified persons. Shimul remains absconding.