Kolkata: The Crime Investigation Department (CID) and Kolkata Police's Special Task Force (STF) have revealed harrowing details regarding the murder of Anwarul Azim Anar, a member of Bangladesh's ruling Awami League. As per the details revealed so far, the Bangladeshi MP's body was skinned and chopped up in an apartment after his murder and disposed of in several plastic packets across the city.
Making a significant breakthrough in the case, the CID said that another person, an illegal immigrant living in Mumbai, had been arrested in the Bangladeshi MP's murder case along with other accused persons. The illegal immigrant was identified as Jihad Hawladar, 24, who was brought to Kolkata two months ago by Akhtaruzzaman, a Bangladeshi-origin US citizen who is believed to be the mastermind of the case.
The investigation has also revealed that Anwarul Azim was apparently 'honey trapped' by a Bangladeshi model named Silasti Rahman, who is believed to be acquainted with one of his murderers and aided in his killing. The woman is a resident of Bangladesh's Khulna district and lured the MP to his death, after which he returned to her country with the prime accused Amanullah Khan. However, Rahman has reportedly been detained by the Bangladeshi police.
Hawladar is a Bangladeshi national and worked as a butcher in Mumbai. According to CID sources, he was called to Kolkata to commit the murder and confessed that he and four other Bangladeshi nationals strangled the MP to death on Akhtaruzzaman's orders. Shocking details about the brutal murder emerged as the accused peeled the skin of the MP's body, removed all the flesh and minced it to eliminate any chances of identification.
The body was later chopped into small pieces and packed into plastic packets. These packets were then disposed of in different parts of Kolkata through various modes of transport. Three persons had already been arrested in the case, and the CID said Jihad Hawladar will be produced before Barasat Court and processed for further information to locate the MP's body parts.
MP missing since May 13
On Wednesday, Bangladesh Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan addressed a news conference in Dhaka and said the MP was killed in Kolkata. As per reports, several blood stains were found in the New Town building where Anwarul Azim is believed to have been murdered and a forensic investigation is currently underway.
Anwarul Azim, the lawmaker from the bordering Jhenaidah-4 constituency, came to the West Bengal capital on May 12 and was last seen on the afternoon of May 13 when he went with friends to a home in Bidhannagar near Kolkata for a medical check-up. According to a family friend in Kolkata's Bidhannagar, the MP mentioned he would be travelling to Delhi, but there has been no physical presence or direct contact with him since May 13.
Concerned by the lack of communication and his sudden alleged disappearance, the MP's friend, Gopal Viswas, who was informed by the MP's daughter of her inability to contact her father, lodged a missing person complaint at the Baranagar police station in Bidhannagar, Kolkata."On the morning of May 16, he (Anwarul Azim) called his assistant, but could not connect. Later, when his PA called him back, he did not answer," according to the complaint dated May 18, 2024.
Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has expressed deep shock and sorrow at the death of Anwarul Azim and conveyed deep sympathy to the bereaved family. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) urged the West Bengal government to investigate this case after the MP went missing.
BJP attacks TMC over Bangladeshi MP's murder
Meanwhile, BJP's candidate for Medinipur's Lok Sabha Seat Agnimitra Paul slammed the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress (TMC) government, questioning the law and order situation in the state. "This is yet another example of the law and order situation in Kolkata. What is the police doing? A Bangladeshi MP who came here got murdered. This is utterly shameful. Complete lawlessness. They won't even be able to catch the murderer," Paul said.
Dilip Ghosh, the former head of BJP's state unit and sitting MP from Medinipur, said that no one is safe in West Bengal, be it Indians or foreigners. Ghosh claimed that such incidents of violence are coming to the fore because the Trinamool knows that there is no chance for its victory in the Lok Sabha elections.
Azim's family members are also set to arrive in Kolkata for further formalities, and their visa process is underway. "He was a very frequent traveller to Kolkata and had good relations with the people in Kolkata. He has a very close friend - Gopal Vishwas. Maybe, he came here for treatment or business purposes or any other issue. We don't know...His daughter is trying to come to Kolkata today," said Shaban Mahmood, Minister (Press), High Commission for Bangladesh in New Delhi.
(reported by Onkar Sarkar - inputs from ANI)
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