MP's son sent to jail

Investigators fear that Bakhtiar Alam Rony, a ruling party lawmaker's son who shot and killed two people in the capital's New Eskaton on Pahela Baishakh, would try to change the course of the police probe if released on bail.

"The accused is an influential person," Sub-Inspector Dipak Kumar Das of the Detective Branch of police wrote in a forwarding letter to a Dhaka court yesterday.

Tap here to add The Daily Star as a trusted source

"If released on bail, he would try to influence the plaintiff and witnesses in the case," said the DB official.

Using his clout, the accused would try to meddle in the investigation process as well, added the SI, also the investigating officer of the case filed with Ramna police on April 15.

After a four-day remand, investigators produced him before the court of Metropolitan Magistrate Asaduzzaman Nur yesterday, pleading that he be kept in jail as long as the investigation is on.

Granting the prayer, the magistrate ordered sending him to jail.

Meanwhile, State Minister for Home Affairs Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal told BBC Bangla Service yesterday, "We are yet to clearly know who had committed the crime.

"The investigation is on … once the probe report is out we would know for sure when, how and where it happened."

Asked why the police delayed in disclosing the matter of Bakhtiar being involved in the killing, Kamal said, "Police did not try to protect anyone or cover up the incident. It just took them time to figure out what had actually happened." 

"The prime minister does not let anyone off the hook. Instant steps are being taken on allegations. It does not matter whether they are sons of ministers, MPs or relatives of ministers," he went on to say.

Bakhtiar fired his licensed pistol four to five times killing CNG-run auto-rickshaw driver Yakub Shikder and rickshaw-puller Abdul Hakim, in New Eskaton early April 14, detectives said.

He is involved with Jubo League, the youth front of the ruling Awami League. His lawmaker mother Pinu Khan is general secretary of Mahila Awami League.

Bakhtiar's three friends, who too are members of Dhaka city Jubo League, were with him at the time of the shooting, an investigator said. 

Asked why they did not seek further remand, a DB official said they had already gleaned information they required regarding the killing and that they needed time to scrutinise the information.

"We would seek fresh remand when required," said the DB official, wishing not to be named.

Court sources said defence lawyer Kazi Nozibullah Hiru pleaded for his client's bail and also that medical treatment be provided to his client.

The court fixed June 16 for hearing the bail petition and ordered the jail authorities to provide him with medical treatment as per the jail code.

Bakhtiar, who was arrested on May 31, told investigators that he had gone to a local bar in the evening of April 13 and a party at Sonargaon Hotel later that night.

Returning drunk from Sonargaon around 1:30am, he was "feeling suffocated inside his car" stuck in a traffic jam near Dilu Road, investigators quoted him as saying. Lowering the glass of his car window, he fired four to five times, Bakhtiar told DB officials.

An investigator said they have sent Bakhtiar's pistol to the CID for ballistic test three to four days ago and expext a report in two weeks .