According to an official gazette notification issued on Tuesday (25 August) and signed by Deputy Secretary Tousif Ahmed, DIG of the Special Branch (SB) Mu. Mahbubur Rashid has been appointed as the new RPMP Commissioner.

The notification also announced two other police personnel transfers. DIG Mu. Mahbubur Rashid assumes leadership of the RPMP, while Dhaka Metropolitan Police Deputy Commissioner Md. Aslam Uddin has been transferred to Police Headquarters as TR, and Noakhali Police Training Centre Additional Superintendent of Police Mohammad Nurul Amin has been assigned to the Khagrachhari APBn and Specialized Training Centre.

Public scrutiny on social media and across various sectors intensified recently regarding the police handling of the Rangpur homicides. Critical debate centred on whether Ganapati Chakraborty’s daughter, Agami Chakraborty, was subjected to rape or sexual assault prior to her death, as well as notable discrepancies between initial police briefings and post-mortem observations.

Speculation regarding potential sexual violence arose after Ekattor Television broadcast surreptitiously recorded footage of a morgue assistant involved in the autopsies. In the recording, the assistant hinted at the presence of physical evidence indicating sexual assault on Agami Chakraborty’s body.

The morgue assistant was heard stating that he had learned of semen being retrieved from the victim. However, he acknowledged that the final conclusion rests entirely on the forensic physician’s formal documentation, noting that any conflict between his personal statements and the doctor’s official report could complicate matters.

He further suggested that the victim’s family had discussed certain aspects privately, though he implied these details could not be disclosed publicly. He added that a specialist team alongside a magistrate were scheduled to travel from Dhaka to evaluate the case.

Medical and legal experts emphasize that verbal statements from morgue staff do not constitute valid forensic proof. Confirming sexual violence requires an official post-mortem report, comprehensive laboratory analysis of biological samples, DNA profiling, and expert medical evaluation.

In an official press briefing following the murders on 23 August, then-RPMP Commissioner Mohammad Abdul Mabud outlined the preliminary findings, confirming the arrest of two suspects.

Police stated that the violence originated from an altercation over opposition to Yaba consumption on the building’s rooftop. According to investigators, the suspects—Mugdha Das and Siddhartha Das—first killed Ganapati Chakraborty, followed by his wife Pritilata Chakraborty, daughter Agami Chakraborty, and son Ayush Chakraborty.

Authorities further reported that the perpetrators looted gold ornaments from the residence and intentionally ransacked the interior to mislead detectives. Both suspects were arrested and subsequently recorded confessional statements under Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. The case was later transferred from precinct police to the Detective Branch (DB) for further investigation.

Notably, early police disclosures contained no reference to sexual assault or rape regarding Agami Chakraborty.

Following the autopsies, examining pathologist Dr Bablu Kumar Biswas reported that preliminary findings indicated all four victims died of asphyxiation by strangulation. Crucially, Dr Biswas noted that there was no physical evidence of a fractured jaw on Agami Chakraborty’s body.

This finding directly contradicts earlier police accounts, which claimed that a rope tied tightly around Agami’s neck and face had broken her jaw and caused her eyes to bulge. The pathologist’s observation has raised critical questions regarding the precise nature of the physical injuries inflicted.

Dr Biswas also addressed concerns over a fluid detected near the victim’s mouth, clarifying that it did not appear to result from chemical or acid exposure but was consistent with natural post-mortem decomposition. Biological specimens were collected and dispatched for laboratory testing.

No final forensic or medical reports verifying whether Agami Chakraborty suffered sexual assault have been publicly released. Consequently, the morgue assistant’s unverified recorded statements cannot be treated as definitive legal evidence. Forensic protocols dictate that the presence of biological fluid alone does not prove assault; the origin, DNA match, and context of any recovered sample must be rigorously verified in a laboratory.

Nevertheless, the assistant’s comments have heightened public demand for transparency regarding which samples were collected during the autopsy and what the subsequent forensic tests reveal.

Discrepancies also remain concerning the motive behind the homicides. While law enforcement maintains that the killings stemmed from a rooftop drug dispute, relatives of the deceased have disputed this narrative, pointing instead to an unresolved extortion conflict related to residential construction on the property.

As the Detective Branch continues its investigation, the final forensic test results and evidentiary findings will be pivotal in establishing the true cause and circumstances of the crime.