PBI Discloses Details of College Student’s Murder

A case study published by the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) has detailed the premeditated murder of a college student, Ismail Hossain, also known as Imon. The investigation revealed that the crime, which took place in 2021, was the result of a calculated plan involving a former romantic relationship, subsequent blackmail, and a fatal trap.

The findings were officially documented in a book titled ‘Investigation of Unidentified Bodies and Clueless Murder Cases’, published by the PBI Headquarters in January. The publication highlights how a seemingly casual social gathering on a religious holiday was used to execute a homicide.

The Background and Motive

Imon was a student at a college in Dhaka. According to the PBI, he had previously been in a romantic relationship with a young woman who was an eleventh-grade college student at the time of the incident. Following the termination of their relationship, the young woman became engaged to marry another individual, Kamruzzaman.

The PBI’s investigation and the subsequent judicial confession of the female suspect revealed that Imon had obtained private photographs and videos of the two of them. Upon learning of her impending marriage, Imon reportedly contacted her, demanded a meeting, and threatened to distribute the intimate media on the internet. In response to this blackmail, the young woman, alongside her fiancé Kamruzzaman, her uncle Tobarak Farajee, and another young woman, formulated a plan to assassinate Imon.

Timeline of the Premeditated Plot

The PBI reported that the operation was executed over approximately four and a half hours, spanning a geographical area of nearly two kilometres. The events unfolded on 13 May 2021, the day of Eid-ul-Fitr.

• Before 15:50: The perpetrators procured a knife and a soft drink laced with sedatives at the Suryanagar junction in Shibchar. Two female accomplices then travelled by a van to the college grounds.

• 15:50: Imon met the two young women at the Ilias Ahmed Chowdhury Degree College field. During this meeting, he was given the laced beverage, which he consumed.

• Subsequent Movements: An intoxicated Imon was transported via an auto-rickshaw to an old ferry ghat by the Arial Khan River.

• The Attack: On the riverbank, an argument ensued regarding the retrieval of the photographs and videos. The primary female suspect drew the knife and struck Imon twice in the neck. Kamruzzaman then took the weapon to inflict further wounds.

• Disposal: The perpetrators pushed Imon’s body into the river before fleeing the scene.

The throat-slit body of the victim was recovered by the police from the Arial Khan River in the Khaschar Bachamara area of Sannyasirchar Union, Shibchar, on the evening of 14 May 2021.

Investigation and Corporate Statement

A formal case was registered on 16 March following the recovery of the body. Initial investigations were managed by the Shibchar Thana Police before the case was officially transferred to the PBI.

Through tracking the crime scene, mapping the victim’s movements, and identifying the individuals he interacted with on the day of Eid, the PBI apprehended the primary female suspect. She subsequently provided a confessional statement before the court detailing the conspiracy.

Commenting on the structural nature of the crime, the Head of PBI and Additional Inspector General, Mostofa Kamal, stated that the homicide was not the result of a sudden altercation or an emotional outburst. Instead, the victim was lured to the location under the pretext of a meeting. He emphasized that each accused individual held specific responsibilities, operating strictly as part of a unified, predetermined plan.

Operational Timeline and Key Elements