Crime and Justice
Former Kushtia Superintendent of Police Tanvir Arafat Shown Arrested in Another Murder Case
Daulatpur (Kushtia) Correspondent
SM Tanvir Arafat, former Superintendent of Police (SP) of Kushtia, has been shown arrested again in connection with the murder case of BNP activist Qudrat Ali in Daulatpur, Kushtia, who was killed by gunfire.
Today, Monday (July 28), he was brought to the Kushtia court under strict security from prison at 1:41 PM. He was then presented before the court of Senior Judicial Magistrate Mostofa Parvez of the Daulatpur Amoli Court, where he was shown arrested in another murder case. Afterwards, at 1:51 PM, he was sent back to prison from the court.
Previously, on December 26, he was arrested as the main accused in the shooting death of another BNP activist, Sujan Malitha. Since then, he has been held in Kushtia Jail.
Deputy Police Commissioner Tanvir Arafat was attached to the Sylhet Range DIG office. His ancestral home is in Khulna’s Khalishpur Upazila. During his tenure in Kushtia, police officer SM Tanvir Arafat was controversial. He faced criticism for various actions since his arrival in Kushtia. He even had to stand in the dock of the court for these incidents and suffer departmental punishment.
Details of the Qudrat Ali Murder Case
The son of the deceased BNP activist Qudrat Ali filed a case at Daulatpur Police Station on October 2, 2024.
In the case statement, the plaintiff mentioned that his father, Qudrat Ali, was an active supporter of BNP. “Since the inception of BNP, my father, my family, and I have been involved with BNP. My father actively participated in all BNP programs. Due to his widespread popularity in the area, my father Qudrat Ali could gather large crowds at local meetings, rallies, and programs.”
“For this reason, Awami League terrorists and some opportunistic police officers planned to arrest and murder my father under false charges to prevent him from participating in BNP programs. As a result of this conspiracy, the accused, including (then) (1) OC Investigation Nishikant Sarkar, (2) SI Roknuzzaman, (3) SI Mehedi Hasan, (4) SI Shahjahan, (5) ASI Anisur Rahman, (6) former Kushtia District Superintendent of Police SM Tanvir Ahmed, and other police officers, planned to kill my father.”
“According to the plan, around 2:00 AM on July 23, 2020, the aforementioned accused, along with 10-12 unidentified police officers, came to our home in Munshiganj and abducted my father, Qudrat Ali, from the house. Subsequently, from July 23 to July 25, my relatives, BNP party members, and I searched for my father Qudrat. When we went to the police station and asked OC Investigation Nishikant Sarkar about my father’s whereabouts, he said they couldn’t say anything.”
“On the morning of July 25, we heard that my father had been disappeared and murdered, and his body was kept at the police station. Upon receiving this news, we first went to the police station and learned that the body had been sent to Kushtia Hospital. At the hospital, we found my father Qudrat Ali’s body. There were two bullet marks on his chest, on the right and left sides, and injury marks on both hands, back, face, and legs.”
“The accused abducted my father from our house, disappeared him, tortured him, shot him to death, and then left the body at the hospital morgue. After the burial of the body, on July 26, when I went to file a case against the accused, OC Investigation Nishikant Sarkar told me that if I filed a case, I would face the same fate. Due to the Awami League being in power and SP SM Tanvir Arafat earning the nickname ‘Kushtia Killer Tanvir,’ no one dared to speak up out of fear. Consequently, neither my family nor I could file any case. After Sheikh Hasina fled the country on August 5, and the situation became normal, I filed this complaint.”
Police Statement and Previous Cases
Regarding this matter, Daulatpur Police Station OC Md. Solaiman Sheikh stated that an application for his arrest was made to the court in connection with a case at Daulatpur Police Station. The court granted the arrest application. It is worth noting that at that time, according to police information, Qudrat Ali was a drug dealer, and he was killed in a crossfire during a police anti-drug operation.
Previous Murder Case
Incidentally, on September 13, 2019, a case was filed against former Kushtia SP Tanvir Arafat for the alleged shooting death of BNP activist Sujan Malitha. On September 29, Sujan Hossain (42), the political elder brother of the deceased Sujan, filed the case at Kushtia Model Police Station. The case named a total of 15 individuals, with 10-12 unknown individuals also accused. The deceased Sujan Malitha was the son of Ismail Malitha of Takimara village in Kushtia Sadar Upazila. The plaintiff, Sujan Hossain, is the son of Abdur Razzak of Lalon Shah Road, Mill Line area, Kushtia city.
A Dhaka tribunal has sentenced a neighbor couple to death for the rape and brutal decapitation of an eight-year-old girl in the capital’s Pallabi area.
Couple Sentenced to Death for Brutal Child Murder: A Dhaka tribunal has sentenced a neighbor couple to death for the rape and brutal decapitation of an eight-year-old girl in the capital’s Pallabi area.
Why it matters:
This landmark verdict delivers a swift and powerful blow against child violence in Bangladesh, reinforcing accountability for heinous crimes. The case sets a critical judicial precedent by delivering ultimate punishment to both the primary perpetrator and his accomplice.
The big picture:
The Dhaka Metropolitan Child Violence Suppression Tribunal delivered the verdict sentencing convicts Sohel Rana and his wife, Swapna Akhtar, to death. The court also slapped massive financial penalties on the dopti, ordering Rana to pay 5 lakh Taka and Akhtar to pay 2 lakh Taka. The case erupted on May 19 after police discovered the headless body of second-grade student Ramisa Akhtar hidden inside a bucket in a Pallabi flat.
Between the lines:
- A coordinated trap: The investigation revealed that Swapna Akhtar intentionally lured young Ramisa into their apartment on the morning of the incident.
- Nrimshongsho assault: Medical exams and confessions proved that Sohel Rana, under the influence of narcotics, assaulted the child in the bathroom. He then decapitated her with a sharp knife to cover up the crime and hide the evidence.
- Rapid justice: Law enforcement moved with unprecedented speed, filing a flawless chargesheet within just five days of the murder, which allowed the tribunal to fast-track the entire trial.
By the numbers:
- 19: The entire judicial process—from the initial crime to the final execution of the verdict—took a mere 19 days.
- 16: The prosecution successfully presented and cross-examined 16 key witnesses to solidify the conviction.
- 7,00,000: The total financial penalty levied against the couple will be legally handed over to the victim’s family.
What’s next:
While the grieving family expressed absolute satisfaction with the rapid trial, the legal battle will now transition to the higher courts. The case moves forward for a mandatory death reference evaluation in the High Court, alongside anticipated appeals from the defense lawyers.
The bottom line:
While sensitive criminal trials in Bangladesh traditionally drag on for years, this verdict proves that the existing legal framework can deliver swift justice when authorities prioritize child safety and execute rigorous, fast-paced coordination.
Crime and Justice
Revenge Attack in Bede Camp: Youth Stabbed to Death in Bogura Over Alleged Thief’s Detention
A young man from the Bede (River Nomads) community, Md. Shakil (25), was stabbed to death and another individual, Janarul, was injured in an attack on a temporary Bede camp in Gabtoli, Bogura. The incident occurred on Thursday morning at the Bede settlement near the Naruamala Bazar in Naruamala Union of the Upazila.
Police have detained the mother and sister of the main accused for questioning and have launched an operation to arrest the attacker, identified as Bishu.
How the Conflict Arose:
According to police and locals, the Bede families, who primarily earn their livelihood through snake charming and herbal medicine, were temporarily residing near the Naruamala market.
The dispute began on Wednesday night when Rashed, a cousin of a local drug addict named Bishu, visited the Bede camp. The Bede community members, suspecting him of theft, detained and tied him up.
In retaliation for the detention, Bishu and his associates launched an attack on the camp around 6:30 AM on Thursday. During the assault, Bishu stabbed Shakil, killing him on the spot. Janarul, from Shakil’s side, was also injured and admitted to the hospital.
Police Action:
Following the incident, police recovered the body of Shakil, who hailed from the Porabari area of Savar, Dhaka, and sent it to the morgue at Shahid Ziaur Rahman Medical College (ShaZimek) Hospital for autopsy.
Gabtoli Police Station’s Officer-in-Charge (OC) Anisur Rahman confirmed the incident, stating that Bishu’s mother, Kamala, and sister, Jomela, have been detained for questioning. The police are preparing to file a murder case, and a widespread raid is ongoing to apprehend the prime accused, Bishu.
Crime and Justice
Mother and Schoolgirl Daughter Hacked to Death in Mohammadpur Flat; Domestic Worker Suspected.
A mother and her schoolgirl daughter were allegedly hacked and killed inside their apartment on Shahjahan Road in Mohammadpur, Dhaka. The victims have been identified as Maila Afroz (48) and her daughter, Nafisa Binte Aziz (15), a ninth-grade student at Mohammadpur Preparatory School. Police primarily suspect the domestic worker carried out the gruesome double murder before fleeing the scene.
The incident is believed to have occurred on Monday (December 8) morning. Md. Abdullah Al Mamun, Assistant Commissioner of Police for the Mohammadpur Zone, confirmed the incident.
The horror unfolded when the head of the family, Azizul Islam, returned home around noon to their 7th-floor apartment and discovered his wife and daughter in a pool of blood. Although the daughter, Nafisa, was found alive and rushed to the hospital, she succumbed to her injuries shortly thereafter.
Investigation Underway
Police retrieved two sharp knives from a bathroom bucket at the scene. The domestic worker, suspected to be the murderer, has been identified by the name Ayesha, though her identity is yet to be fully verified.
Assistant Commissioner Mamun stated that the motive appears to be intentional murder. Police are currently collecting CCTV footage to identify and apprehend the fleeing domestic worker swiftly. The bodies have been sent for autopsy as legal proceedings commence following the shocking double homicide that has caused widespread alarm in the capital.