Jubo League leader is accused of murder again after presidential pardon

The latest case was started over the death of a person in a clash between two groups at Lakhsmipur village in Bhanga Upazila last Tuesday, Gazi Rabiul Islam, the additional superintendent of police, said.

Aslam is among 54 people named in the case initiated by Shajahan Matubbar, a resident of the village, a day after the incident on charges of murder, vandalism, looting and assault, while another 15 to 20 other unidentified people were also among the accused.

The lawsuit alleges that a clash between the two groups ensued over water flowing onto the yard of Shajahan’s nephew Rafique Matubbar from the roof of the house of Latif Matubbar on the night of Apr 21.

Following the dispute, perpetrators wielding sticks, metal rods, axes, machetes and other sharp objects critically wounded Rafique and vandalised his home on orders from Aslam and Usman Fakir, Shajahan said in the case.

The attackers hacked Shahid Matubbar, a relative of Shajahan while Shahid tried to stop them, the plaintiff said.

Shahid died after being rushed to the Faridpur Medical College Hospital.

All the accused, including prime suspect Aslam, are on the run. “We are working on their arrest,” ASP Rabiul said.

Speaking to about the matter, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal said the matter had come to his attention but he was waiting for the details.

“I can’t say anything without seeing the files. It was probably something ‘mental’. But whatever the case, crimes will be punished, no way around it,” he said about Aslam’s amnesty.

A politician of the ruling Awami League’s youth wing, Aslam was found guilty of murdering AKM Shahed Ali, a former chairman of the Manikdaha union.

Ali was hacked to death by Aslam and his associates on Sept 25, 2003. He was sentenced to death by a Faridpur court, a verdict upheld by the High Court.

The president granted his mercy petition on Nov 12, 2014, a day before his execution. He cited mental illness in the plea which the president had rejected in 2013.

On Feb 26 in 2015, his death sentence was commuted to 14 years in prison. The man, a close aide to Awami League Presidium member Kazi Zafarulla, was released on Aug 25, 2017 after serving 13 years.

A letter to the president from Zafarulla’s wife, Nilufer Zafarulla, a former MP from Faridpur-4, had played a crucial role in his pardon.

Contacted for comment, Nilufer hung up saying she was ill.

Mujibur Rahman Chowdhury Nixon, the incumbent MP from Faridpur-4, said he had protested when former MP Zafrullah organised a reception for Aslam on the latter’s release from jail.

Aslam had posed as a mentally ill person in jail and used influence for the release, he said.

“I had said after his release that it will encourage murder,” Nixon said.

“And now he has committed murder again. Moreover, he is roaming freely. Who will take the responsibility for it?” he asked.

Zafrullah denied Aslam’s connection to the Awami League.

“He was a Jubo League chief for 20-25 years. Now he is being shown as my man after the murder,” he said.

Zafrullah also claimed Aslam was not in the area during the murder and it happened in clashes between rival groups of Nixon’s supporters.