Kolkata: Shimul Bhuniya alias Amanullah, a prime suspect in the Bangladeshi legislator Anwarul Azim Anar homicide case who was apprehended along with accomplices from Dhaka earlier, confessed before a Dhaka court on Wednesday that he orchestrated the men who participated in the assassination of the Jhenaidah parliamentarian at a Rajarhat apartment on May 13.
Aktaruzzaman alias Shaheen, a Bangladesh-born US national and the alleged mastermind, contracted him to eliminate Azim, Amanullah revealed in his confessional statement on Wednesday.
In his testimony, Amanullah alleged that Aktaruzzaman and Azim used to illicitly transfer funds out of the country through hawala and were implicated in gold smuggling.
Following a dispute between the two over the unlawful racket, Aktaruzzaman reportedly approached Amanullah and instructed him to assassinate Azim.
However, both Bangladesh cops and CID asserted that there is currently no substantiation linking the MP with recent illegal activities, with all previous cases against him being dismissed.
“The true motive can only be ascertained after we apprehend Aktaruzzaman. Till then, we are not prepared to succumb to any conjecture. We are currently providing all assistance to Bangladesh Police,” said sources.
After perpetrating the murder inside the condominium, Amanullah returned home on May 15, according to sources in CID and the Detective Branch (DB) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police. Accused Faisal, Mustafiz and Jihad Howlader were directly involved in the killing, Amanullah said in the statement, adding that accused Jihad and Siam, arrested in Nepal, were involved in disposing of the remains. After recording his statement, the court remanded him to custody.
Amanullah was previously responsible for overseeing the activities of Purbo Banglar Communist Party (PBCP) in Khulna, Jhenidah, and Jashore.
The accused reportedly attempted to kill Azim on two occasions in Jan and March but were unsuccessful. On April 25, Aktaruzzaman rented the New Town flat where Amanullah and Celesty convened with the other accused five days later to devise a plan. Aktaruzzaman returned to Bangladesh on May 10.
As per the instructions of Aktaruzzaman and Amanullah, the other accused lured Azim to the flat, claiming that they would discuss and resolve business matters. Amanullah, with the assistance of the other accused, then murdered the lawmaker there.
The accused dismembered the body and flushed part of it down the toilet. Some remains were placed in a trunk which was discarded in the Krisna Mati area of Kolkata. The plastic, used to stack the body parts for disposal, was bought from New Market, the other accused Celesty Rahaman has told her interrogators.