Several attempts were made on the life of Bashundhara Group Managing Director (MD) and Sheikh Russel Krira Chakra Limited Chairman Sayem Sobhan Anvir. As part of the conspiracies, a blueprint had been devised to shoot Anvir to death during Juma prayers.

Vatara police on Friday arrested one Saiful Islam Saad, 23, hailing from Patiya upazila in Chattogram, as a suspect in connection with the incident.

Police arrested him from Sautul Quran Madrasah and Etimkhana situated in Bashundhara Residential Area in the capital around 11:30am.

Sub-inspector Hasan Masud of Vatara Police Station, also the investigation officer (IO) of the case, is now carrying out investigation into the incident. 

He produced the suspect before the court on Friday with a five-day remand petition for interrogation.

During preliminary interrogation, the arrestee disclosed that as part of the blueprint orchestrated by Whip Shamsul Haque Chowdhury, MP from Chattogram-12 constituency (Patiya), and his son Nazmul Karim Chowdhury Sharun, he was supposed to shoot Anvir to death during Friday’s Juma prayers.
Earlier, the organised gang had planned to kill Anvir through feeding him with milk laced with poison and stabbing. However, they failed to execute the plans.

Saad also said Sharun had asked him to shoot Sayem Sobhan Anvir directly during Juma prayers and flee the mosque by a car which will be kept outside. He said, “Sharun informed me of the arrangements so that I could get out of the mosque and flee.”

Sources at Vatara Police Station said Saiful Islam Saad was arrested on suspicion of plotting to assassinate Bashundhara Group MD Sayem Sobhan Anvir.

After his arrest, police produced him before the Dhaka Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court on Friday with a remand petition to grill him under their custody. Saad can give a clearer idea about the masterminds of the planned killing mission.

During investigation, it was found that the conspiracy to kill the Bashundhara Group MD had been going on for almost three months. Saad entered at the Bashundhara Group MD House in disguise for at least four times.

Saad gave details of how they planned to kill Anvir at the order of Whip Shamsul Haque Chowdhury and his son Sharun.

After failing to execute the plots several times in the past, he finally disguised himself as a madrasah student. He was admitted to Sautul Quran Madrasah and Etimkhana in Bashundhara Residential Area. Because students from that madrasah go to the Bashundhara Group MD House every day to recite the holy Quran. The target was to implement the plan to assassinate the Bashundhara Group MD during Juma prayers.

Madrasah Principal Mufti Misbah Uddin Sagir said Saad’s movement had been suspicious for the last few days and the names of the Whip and Sharun could be heard during his conversations over phone.

After that, the principal was keeping a close watch on Saad’s movement. After it became clear that Saad had come here with a mission to assassinate the Bashundhara Group MD as planned by the whip and Sharun, he informed the security officials and staff of Bashundhara Residential Area of the matter.

On Friday, Major (retd) Sheikh Mizanur Rahman, head of the public relations department of Bashundhara Group, was supposed to file a case with Vatara Police Station in this regard.

Apart from Saad, a plea has been made to include Whip Shamsul Haque Chowdhury and his son Sharun as the masterminds of the murder attempt.

In the pleas, it was mentioned that whip’s son Sharun planned to assassinate Bashundhara Group Managing Director Sayem Sobhan Anvir due to previous enmity. Earlier, the clique had tried several times to implement such conspiracies.

Plaintiff of the case Mizanur Rahman said Whip Shamsul Haque and his son Sharun orchestrated the blueprint to kill the Bashundhara Group MD.

In this connection, they (Shamsul and Sharun) sent their trusted man Saiful Islam Saad, a youth from Patiya, to the MD House in the guise of a day-labourer.

He (Saad) also entered the house for four times on the pretext of various reasons.

Saad was assigned to fetch milk from the farm to the house.

According to the plan, Sharun advised Saad to mix poison with milk. But several attempts went in vain.

They have also preparation to stab the Bashundhara Group MD to death during Friday’s Juma prayers at the mosque.

However, Saad could not implement the plan due to unfavourable situation.

During interrogation, Saad said he met Hannan and Mannan, close associates of Whip Shamsul, while he was a tenth grader at Patiya Central High School in Chattogram.

One day, Hannan and Mannan took Saad with them to meet Shamsul and Sharun.

Under the directives and direct supervision of Shamsul and Sharun, Saad took a job at the the Bashundhara Group MD House by concealing his real identity. Apart from this, Saad has several photographs with Whip Shamsul.

It was learned that he worked as a day-labourer in disguise at the MD House. The news that he had the opportunity to enter the MD House reached Whip Shamsul’s cadres Hannan and Mannan within a moment.

Then they arranged a meeting of Saad with Sharun. At that meeting, Sharun and his father informed Saad of the plan to assassinate the Bashundhara Group MD. They said if Saad could do the job, he would not have to do anything else in his entire life. Sharun handed over Tk 20,000 in cash to Saad and assured him of paying more if the plan is implemented.

According to the complaint of the case, the final plan was taken when Saad went home during the last Durga Puja holiday. Saad went to Chattogram on October 10 on leave. After 12 days of leave, he returned to work on October 23. During the holiday, Saad met Sharun. At that time, a pistol was given to Saad and a conspiracy was hatched to kill the Bashundhara Group MD. According to the plan, Saad was preparing to shoot Bashundhara Group MD Anvir during Juma prayers on Friday.

Sources said Sharun had promised a big reward for Saad if he could successfully implement the plot to assassinate the Bashundhara Group MD. Sharun also threatened to kill him if he fails to execute the plan. He was also assured that police would be managed. After returning from Chattogram, Saad kept the pistol with him during the last two Friday prayers. But he could not succeed due to unfavourable situation.

BDST: 0006 HRS, NOV 6, 2021
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