Indian police on Wednesday recovered the dismembered body of Anwarul Azim Anar, the Awami League MP from Jhenaidah-4, from a flat in Sanjeeva Garden, an affluent community in the Newtown area of Kolkata in West Bengal.
The three-time MP’s body was recovered from a luxurious apartment on Wednesday, eight days after he went missing, his Personal Assistant Abdur Rauf told reportersciting information from Kolkata police.
An investigation is currently underway, and the Indian police have already arrested two people in connection with the incident, according to a number of local and Indian media reports.
According to aKolkata 24/7 report, Azim visited a residence in the Newtown area on May 13, and he was murdered there.Indian police claimed that the house he visited belonged to an excise officer.
The ruling party lawmakerwas reportedly called to the rented house and killed. On the day of the murder, there were several people, including a woman, in the house. But after the mysterious death of the lawmaker, everyone managed to flee, according to media reports.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday expressed deep shock and sorrow at the death of MP Azim, who was also the president of Kaliganj Upazila Awami League unit in Jhenaidah.She prayed for the eternal salvation of his departed soul and expressed sympathy to the bereaved family members.
Meanwhile, briefing the media in Dhaka, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan said, “The information we have so far is that the people of our country were involved in the killing.”
Based on information from Indian police, Bangladesh Police have also arrested three people, he said.
Asked whether the murder would impact relations with India, Asaduzzaman said, “We have friendly relations with India. They helped us in every way. There was nothing that would deteriorate the relationship with them. No one from India is involved.”
“All information including the motive of the murder, where the murder occurred, and who were involved, we will let you [journalists] know,” he said.
Responding to a question about the recovery of the body, Asaduzzaman refused to reveal further information for the sake of the investigation.
“Our police are investigating. We will be able to unearth the motive behind the murder soon. Indian police are also working to find out who else was involved. We are taking measures that need to be adopted internationally,” the minister said.
According to an intelligence source in Bangladesh, even though it is said that MP Azim went to India alone, there were two others with him. They were also Bangladeshis, said the source.
Indian intelligence has found such information in some CCTV camera footage. Those two people are long-time acquaintances of the lawmaker. They supposedly live in the MP’s constituency, reports Kolkata 24/7.
According to intelligence sources, Azim’smobile phone was activated twice in the last four or five days in Assam and Uttar Pradesh. Earlier, his phone locations showed him in Benapole and Mozaffarabad.
On May 12, Azim went to India for treatment. He left for Darshana alone in his car. Around 11am, he crossed the Darshana check post and entered India's Gede station. After completing the formalities there, he left in an engine-run rickshaw.
He had luggage with him at that time. After he left, his driver Tariqul Islam returned to Kaliganj with the car.
On May 18, a local man named Gopal Biswas filed a General Diary (GD) at BaranagarPolice Station in Kolkata. A gold merchant by profession, Gopal mentioned in the GD that he had family ties with Azim for 25 years.
On May 12, around 7pm, Azim came to Gopal’s MandalparaLane house in Kolkata and then left to see the doctor around 1:45pm the next day.
According to the GD, Azim did not return to Gopal's house that evening. A message was sent to Gopal from the WhatsApp number informing him that Azim was going to Delhi on a special mission.
On May 15, another WhatsApp message came from Azim's number, which informed Gopal about reaching Delhi and said, “I have VIPs with me, there is no need to call.”
On May 19, Azim’s family members contacted the Detective Branch (DB) of police in Dhaka and informed them about his disappearance.
Meanwhile, Azim's daughter Mumtarin Ferdous Dorindemanded justice through fair investigation into her father's death.
“I want to see them [killers] hanged. Today I have become an orphan. I have not finished my studies yet,” she said while talking to reporters at the DB office on Wednesday.
Asked whether she knows the killers, Dorin said, “I do not know anyone but I want to know them. I requested DB chief Harun-or-Rashid to identify them and unearth the motive behind the murder.”
Asked about the last conversation with her father, she said, “We had a conversation on video call. During our conversation, my father said he would talk to me after returning home from India.”
Responding to a question whether she suspects anyone, she said, “I don't suspect anyone. But I want to see them, I will disclose my suspicion later.”
Calling the murder of MP Azim “very shocking, unfortunate, and unexpected",Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud on Wednesday told reporters, "We are following the matter through our mission in Kolkata. The Bangladesh mission is also keeping in touch with Kolkata police. The matter is under investigation.Our Ministry of Home Affairs is also following it.”
Earlier, the Deputy High Commission in Kolkata sent a formal communication to the Ministry of External Affairs Branch Secretariat in Kolkata on May 19, seeking support from the MEA for locating and rescuing the missing MP.
