Stolen Mobile Phone Solves Double Murder Mystery

A mobile phone stolen from a crime scene has led investigators to the masterminds behind a notorious double murder in Bagmara, Rajshahi. The device changed hands eight times, selling for as little as 500 to 700 BDT, before the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) traced it. This breakthrough resolved a case that had remained unsolved for nearly a year.

The Crime and Initial Investigations

On the night of 23 November 2014, Aklima Bewa (55) and her son, Jahid Hasan (28), were brutally murdered with sharp weapons inside their residence in Deula village, located in the Bagmara Upazila. The following day, Aklima’s other son, Dulal Uddin, filed a formal murder case at the Bagmara Police Station.

Initially, the local Bagmara police handled the investigation. Although they detained five individuals during the preliminary phase, subsequent findings revealed that none of them were involved in the crime. After a year of zero progress, the case was officially transferred to the PBI.

Tracing the Missing Evidence

Upon taking charge, the PBI focused on Aklima’s missing mobile phone, which had been looted from the crime scene. Investigators tracked the device using its International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) number. By the time it was located, the phone had passed through eight different owners and reached an individual in Netrokona.

The PBI meticulously reconstructed the chain of custody, analyzing every transaction and the identities of those who bought and sold the device. The investigation revealed that a local resident named Habibur Rahman had taken the phone directly from the house after the murders. Based on this technical evidence, the PBI arrested seven suspects, including Habibur Rahman and Aklima’s cousin-in-law, Abul Hossain Master.

Motives and Execution of the Plot

The comprehensive details of this investigation were published in a book compiled by the PBI headquarters, titled Investigation of Unidentified Dead Bodies and Clueless Murder Cases.

The PBI uncovered two distinct motives behind the double homicide:

• Land and Leadership Disputes: Abul Hossain Master, a local influential leader (Matbor) and Aklima’s cousin-in-law, had a long-standing dispute with her.

• Narcotics Dispute: Habibur Rahman, a neighbour, also harboured a grievance against Aklima regarding local drug-related operations.

These shared animosities led Abul Hossain Master and Habibur Rahman to orchestrate the murders. Habibur Rahman took charge of recruiting five contract killers from different areas within the Durgapur Upazila of Rajshahi. The gang was led by Abdur Rajzak, a dismissed member of the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB).

On the night of 23 November 2014, Abul Hossain Master used his motorcycle to guide the contract killers over an 18-kilometre route from Durgapur to the victim’s house in Deula village. Between 20:30 and 21:15, the attackers entered the home and slaughtered Aklima and her son. Another accomplice remained outside to keep watch next to the motorcycle. After completing the killings, Habibur Rahman took Aklima’s mobile phone, and the perpetrators fled the scene.

Commenting on the breakthrough, the Chief of PBI and Additional Inspector General of Police, Mostafa Kamal, stated to the media:

“The crucial clue in this double murder case was a mobile phone. The victim’s phone was looted after the murder and then circulated through eight different hands. However, by following the chronological sequence of that phone’s changing ownership, it was ultimately possible to unravel the mystery of the murder.”

Judicial Verdict and Sentencing

Following the PBI’s detailed investigation and the subsequent judicial process, the court delivered its final verdict in September 2019. The court handed down death sentences to three individuals and life imprisonment to four others for their direct involvement in the conspiracy and execution of the murders.