Dhaka, May 22: Veteran Bangladeshi MP Anwarul Azim Anar, who went missing in India, was found murdered in Kolkata and three people have been arrested, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan announced here on Wednesday.
“Awami League MP Anwarul Azim Anar, who went missing in India, was murdered at a Kolkata flat. It was a planned murder,” he said.
“Police recovered the dismembered body of Md Anwarul Azim Anar from New Town, Kolkata, India, on Wednesday,” Dhaka Tribune newspaper said.
Bangladeshi criminals are behind the death of the 56-year-old lawmaker from Jhenaidah-4 constituency, Dhaka Police’s Detective Branch (DB) chief Harun Or Rashid said.
“It is a brutal murder. We are investigating whether family or financial causes, or enmity with local miscreants led to his death. We are working closely with the Indian police and getting plenty of information,” The Daily Star quoted Rashid as saying.
A case has been filed with the Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Police Station on Wednesday as the MP had departed the country for India from the Sangsad Bhaban area, Rashid told reporters at the DB office here.
Khan said that Bangladesh Police have arrested three persons in connection with the murder of the lawmaker.
The three-time MP and president of the Kaliganj upazila unit of the ruling Awami League went to India on May 12 on a personal visit to receive treatment. A general diary report about his disappearance was filed at Baranagar Police Station in North Kolkata on May 18, the report said.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has expressed deep shock and sorrow at the death of Azim, the portal said quoting the United News of Bangladesh news agency.
“Jhenaidah is a bordering area known for its high crime rate. Azim was the local lawmaker there. The incident took place after went to India for treatment. According to what we currently know, he was killed there,” the home minister said.
“The lawmaker had mysteriously disappeared on May 16 and Gopal Biswas, a friend and a resident of Baranagar in India, filed a missing person's report with the local police station on May 18 after he could not contact Anwarul Azim,” Dhaka Tribune added.
Meanwhile, Anar’s daughter, Mumtarin Ferdous Doreen has demanded justice for her slain father. “I want a fair investigation to identify who killed my father and why. I want to see the end of it. Why did they kill my father? I want to see my father's killers hanged,” Doreen told reporters here.
Speaking about the last conversation she or her family had with Anar, Doreen said, “I had a video call with my father. He said that he was going to India and would come back in a day or two. He then promised to take me to a dentist. That was my last conversation with my father.”
The Daily Star further, in a separate report, quoted Doreen as saying: “My father admitted me to the LLB programme with many dreams. My results will come out soon. My father told me that he would check my results after returning from India. But (now) he cannot come.”
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Dharamsala (PTI): Royal Challengers Bengaluru rode on fluent half-centuries from Virat Kohli and Venkatesh Iyer, along with a decisive opening spell from pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar, to thrash Punjab Kings by 23 runs and seal a playoff berth in the IPL here on Sunday.
Kohli (58 off 37 balls), Iyer (73 not out off 40 balls) and Devdutt Padikkal (45) produced impactful knocks as RCB piled up 222 for 4 in 20 overs.
Bhuvneshwar (2/38) then removed the dangerous Punjab Kings opening pair of Priyansh Arya (0) and Prabhsimran Singh (2) early to all but shut the door on the opposition, who eventually managed 199 for 8 in their allotted 20 overs.
Pacer Rasikh Salam (3/36) compounded Punjab Kings' misery by dismissing skipper Shreyas Iyer (1) in the fourth over as the hosts slumped to 19 for 3.
Late-order batters Shashank Singh (56 off 27 balls) and Marcus Stoinis (37 off 25 balls) attempted to revive the innings with a counter-attacking effort, but the towering RCB total ultimately proved far beyond PBKS' reach.
Earlier, Kohli stitched together a 76-run stand with Devdutt for the second wicket to lay the foundation before adding another 60 runs with Venkatesh for the third wicket as table-toppers RCB delivered yet another authoritative batting display.
Brief Scores:
Royal Challengers Bengaluru: 222 for 4 in 20 overs (Virat Kohli 58, Devdutt Padikkal 45, Venkatesh Iyer 73 not out; Harpreet Brar 2/35).
Punjab Kings: 199 for 8 in 20 overs (Cooper Connolly 37, Suryansh Shedge 35, Marcus Stoinis 37, Shashank Singh 56; Bhuvneshwar Kumar 2/38, Rasikh Salam 3/36).
