Two murderers arrested for killing friend after giving him sleeping pills and stealing his autorickshaw

❐ District Correspondent

Law enforcement agencies have arrested two people on charges of strangling to death Md. Rafiqul Islam (55), a battery-powered auto-rickshaw driver in Companiganj, Noakhali.

Four days after the incident, Char Jabbar Police Station and RAB-11 arrested two people after recovering the stolen auto-rickshaw and the towel used in the murder.

Char Jabbar Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Md. Shahim Mia confirmed this information on Sunday afternoon, August 31.

Earlier, the accused were arrested last night from Mohammad Nagar village of Sirajpur Union in Companiganj and Char Mohiuddin village of Charjubli Union in Subarnachar Upazila.

The arrested accused are: Monir Hossain (37) of Char Mohiuddin village in Subarnachar upazila and Md. Liton (26), son of Md. Selim of the same village.

Police said that the deceased autorickshaw driver Rafiqul Islam was originally from Kachua police station in Bagerhat district. He has been living in the house of Din Bepari in Ward No. 3 of Companyganj Sirajpur Union in Noakhali for 40 years after his marriage. He bought a new battery-powered autorickshaw two months ago. On Monday, August 25, he left home after lunch with the autorickshaw. When he did not return home at night, his family members called his mobile phone several times and found it switched off.

The next day, Tuesday, at around 11 am, locals found his body lying near Nur Islam Miah’s house in Subarnachar Upazila. He had a hangman’s noose around his neck and signs of injury on various parts of his body.

Police also said that the mastermind was arrested from Kamal Hossain’s garage in Mohammadnagar village of Sirajpur union in Companyganj around 2 am on Saturday. During extensive interrogation, Monir admitted that the victim Rafiqul Islam was his previous acquaintance. They used to hang out together. On Monday night, he was given sleeping pills without his knowledge.

Rafiqul was returning home in an autorickshaw when Monir followed him. Later, after taking the autorickshaw to the spot, Monir, with the help of Liton, strangled Rafiq to death with his used towel. Later, they took the autorickshaw and went into hiding. According to the information given by the accused, the stolen autorickshaw and the towel used in the murder were recovered from the Char Jabbar police station area.

Char Jabbar Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Md. Shahim Mia further said that three people were arrested in the incident. After verification, a young man named Ripon will be released as he was not found involved. The other two accused will be handed over to the Noakhali Chief Judicial Magistrate Court if they are arrested.