In a disquieting turn of events, seasoned Bangladeshi legislator Anwarul Azim Anar, who vanished whilst in India on May 13, was discovered deceased in Kolkata. Bangladesh, in response, has apprehended three individuals suspected of involvement in the politician’s demise, as disclosed by Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan in Dhaka on Wednesday (May 23).
The lifeless form of the Awami League parliamentarian, who ventured into India on May 12 only to vanish the subsequent day, was retrieved from a domicile situated in Kolkata’s Newtown locality on the aforementioned Wednesday.
“We’ve ascertained that the perpetrators hailed from Bangladesh. This was a premeditated act,” asserted the Bangladesh minister. Furthermore, he revealed that three individuals have been detained by Bangladesh Police in connection to the demise of the 56-year-old statesman, according to The Daily Star.
“We shall imminently unveil the motive behind this reprehensible act,” the minister remarked, underscoring the cooperation extended by Indian authorities in the ongoing investigation. A thrice-elected MP and chief of the Kaliganj upazila division of the Awami League, Azim had journeyed to India for personal medical treatment. Notably, a report detailing his disappearance was lodged at Baranagar Police Station in North Kolkata on May 18.
Azim represented the Jhenaidah-4 constituency, situated in a frontier region notorious for its elevated crime rate. “Based on our present knowledge, it appears he met his demise there,” divulged the home minister.
Meanwhile, authorities in Kolkata have initiated a collaborative inquiry into the matter. Additionally, Azim’s kin are poised to arrive in Kolkata to fulfill requisite formalities, with their visa arrangements currently underway. Conversely, Bangladesh’s Press Minister Shaban Mahmud, stationed at the embassy in Delhi, remarked, “India has been a steadfast and longstanding ally, and we eagerly await further updates from Indian authorities.”
A senior official from the intelligence division of the Bidhannagar Police Commissionerate remarked, “We succeeded in locating the MP following exhaustive efforts. His remains were discovered during a sweep of a residence in Newtown. Investigations are ongoing, with surveillance footage from the premises under scrutiny. Furthermore, security personnel are undergoing interrogation.”
Reports suggest that members of the Special Task Force (STF) and Intelligence Bureau (IB) were also enlisted in the search operation. The vehicle utilized by Azim since his arrival in Kolkata has also been traced. According to police sources, Azim was accompanied by two individuals, with initial investigations indicating their potential direct involvement in the homicide, subsequently fleeing the nation.
Efforts to trace Azim spanned specific localities in Newtown and Baranagar. A consulate official divulged that the MP entered West Bengal via the Darshana border on May 12, thereafter seeking refuge at the residence of a confidant, Gopal Biswas, in Baranagar.
“He arrived in Kolkata on May 12 for medical purposes, lodging at his acquaintance’s abode in Baranagar, situated in the northern periphery of the city. On May 13, he embarked on a meeting but failed to return. His acquaintance subsequently lodged a police report,” the official elaborated.
Azim’s daughter, Mumtarin Firdous, lodged a report regarding his disappearance with the Intelligence Department of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police on May 18. Since May 13, there had been no communication from Azim, and his phone had been inactive since May 14.
Barrackpore Police Commissioner Alok Rajoria had previously informed ETV Bharat that Bengal authorities had solicited aid from Bihar and Chhattisgarh police, given that the last known location of the MP’s phone was traced to Bihar.