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Police have said that Anwarul Azim Anar died from chloroform poisoning as the assailants wanted to make the Jhenaidah-4 MP unconscious to blackmail him before killing.
Dhaka Metropolitan Police's Detective Branch claimed that there was no plan to kill him on the day of his murder in a Kolkata flat following two unsuccessful attempts on his life in the past six months.
The DB said that before their third attempt, the assailants intended to keep him alive for two days to capture compromising photos and extort money, reports bdnews24.com.
However, upon entering the house, MP Anar lost consciousness during a scuffle when chloroform was administered. He did not gain consciousness thereafter. Then the killers focused on disposing of the body.
Despite having significant information about the murder, the exact motive remains unknown, Additional Commissioner Harunor Rashid, chief of DMP’s DB, told reporters in Dhaka on Saturday.
However, both Indian and Bangladeshi media have reported potential motives, such as smuggling and disputes over the distribution of gold shipments valued at Tk 2 billion.
Dhaka's DB team will investigate the matter in India after the Indian investigators complete their work in the Bangladesh capital, Harunor said.
A team of three detectives from India arrived in Bangladesh on Thursday and spoke to the suspects as part of their investigation into the murder.
Police in Bangladesh arrested three suspects – Amanulla Sayeed alias Shimul Bhuiyan alias Shihab aka Fazl Mohammad Bhuiyan, 56, Tanvir Bhuiyan, 30, and Celesty Rahman, 22 – on Wednesday over the murder of the MP.
The mastermind behind the killing, Akhtaruzzaman alias Shahin Mia - a US citizen - had fled to America, police said.
ANESTHETIC LEAVES ANAR UNCONSCIOUS PERMANENTLY
"The initial plan wasn't to kill him. They intended to set a honey trap, scare him, and take nude photos for blackmail. They planned to extort money over two days, with Shahin bringing funds from Anar’s associates to India.
"Their intention shifted to murder, but initially, they wanted to hold him for two days to extract money. Some of this money would be shared with those involved. However, MP Anar died from the effects of the anaesthetic, and they took nude photos of him while he was unconscious.
"Unfortunately, MP Anar didn't regain consciousness, ruining their two-day blackmail plan. They reverted to their previous strategy, intending to confuse the location of the murder by tampering with his phone and then disposing of the body."
When asked if Bangladeshi woman Celesty Rahman was involved in blackmailing, Harunor said, “No.”
After the murder, the perpetrators took Anar's mobile phones to confuse the law-enforcing agencies, he said.
A man went to Benapole with four phones, making calls to the MP's rival groups. They planned for the caller to say 'Done', shifting suspicion to the opposition party.
The DB chief said, “One of them was arrested in India. We'll go there, talk to the accused Zahid, and match his statements with the evidence. We're exploring multiple angles.”
In Bangladesh, Anar’s daughter has brought charges of “abduction to kill” against unidentified suspects.
Asked what evidence they have to be certain that the MP was murdered, Harunor said: “We've found evidence, but I can't reveal it now. Kolkata police must have found clues that will lead to murder charges there.”
MOTIVE?
Harunor said the motive behind the MP's murder remains uncertain but could involve past grievances, transactions, political reasons, or blackmail.
“The assailants planned to confine him for three days, taking his nude photos to extort money. They had previously attempted to kill him twice," he revealed.
There might also be a dispute over control of the border area, from where both Anar and Akhtaruzzaman hail, the DMP additional commissioner said.
When questioned about potential conflicts related to gold smuggling, Harunor responded, "We'll consider all possibilities you've mentioned, but I cannot provide any specific details at this time."
He said there is a possibility to get more information once the Bangladeshi investigators visit India.
According to him, at least four of the suspects are leaders of the extremist group Purbobangla Communist Party. They are Shimul Bhuiyan, Jihad, Siam and Mustafiz.
He said police have information that Shimul had involvement in at least six murders as a leader of the banned group in Jhenaidah.
“We’re checking if the MP became a target for trying to keep his area on the right track,” he said.
TWO PREVIOUS PLOTS TO KILL ANAR
According to Harunor, there were two prior attempts on the MP's life, one before and one after the January 7 general election.
Initially, the plan was to execute the murder in Bangladesh, but it was postponed until after the election and the assailants plotted to kill him in India on January 17-18.
"The group was in India when the MP visited the country at that time. However, that plan was not carried out. The third attempt was successful," the chief of the DMP Detective Branch explained.
Investigation revealed that Akhtaruzzaman returned to Bangladesh on May 10, and Anar travelled to India on May 12.
Before that, on April 30, Akhtaruzzaman, along with Shimul and Celesty Rahman, entered a flat in New Town, Kolkata. Akhtaruzzaman left after assigning Shimul to carry out the murder plan.
Akhtaruzzaman, a US citizen, then travelled from Dhaka to Kathmandu via Delhi on May 20, before heading to the US via Dubai.