Couple Murder in Gulshan

Mukhlesur Rahman

Five months into the killing of their parents, teenaged Sumaiya Yasmin Bithi and Nilufar Yasmin Iti are passing their days hiding and fearing attacks on their lives by the killers.

Bithi is the lone witness of the killing of her parents Sadequr Rahman, 55, general secretary of Bangladesh Nursery Owners' Association, and Romana Nargis, 45, at their Gulshan residence.

On March 24, local goon Rubel shot dead the couple as they declined to marry Iti off to him and tried to prevent him from dragging her from the house.

Cut off from rest of the world and haunted by the memory of the murder, Bithi, 19, and Iti, 17, are now living at a secluded house of their brother's in-law.

The family sources said on several occasions the killers have threatened over the phone to kill the sisters if they dare to give statement in the court of law.

According to the witness, Rubel and his accomplice Mithun fled the scene immediately after the killings.

Bithi said, "I receive frequent phone calls and the callers give false names of different criminal gangs. They threatened me not to give deposition before the court and said if I ignore them, they would send me to my parents.

"The callers switch numbers after each call, and for this we have never received more than one call from a number," she added.

Police pressed charges against four people in connection with the double murder. They are Rubel, Mithun, Rubel's maternal uncle Mohammad Altaf Hossain Altu, who allegedly supplied the murder weapon, and Mohammad Mohiuddin Azad, husband of Rubel's sister who gave them shelter.

Of the accused in the charge sheet, Altaf and Azad are now out on bail, while Rubel and Mithun are behind bars.

The accused freed on bail and three dropped from charge sheet are allegedly conspiring and issuing constant threats to the orphaned daughters and their lawyer.

Prosecution lawyer Asif Uddin said the investigation officer of the case mysteriously dropped the names of Delwar Hossain Dipu, who allegedly kept the murder weapon, Shariful Islam and Nazmul Islam Babu from the charge sheet.

"I frequently receive cellphone calls threatening not to move the case. On July 27, I have informed the court that the accused freed on bail are posing threats to the lives of the victims' daughters and me as well," said the prosecution lawyer.

The court fixed July 27 for hearing on the charge sheet in presence of Abul Hossain, who first filed a double murder case with Gulshan Police Station. That day, over 70 men of Dipu and Altaf created a dreadful situation for the lawyer and Abul Hossain.

Asif said, "I could hear those men hurling threats when I was putting submission before the court. I failed to make my submission properly due to lack of security."

According to Asif it would be tough for him to prove the roles of the killers as Rubel's accomplices, as the ones free on bail are very influential.

About her days now, Bithi said, "I still wake up screaming as the flashes of my parents' brutal murder haunt me in sleep. My third semester BBA exams started on July 31. I can neither continue with my studies nor return to my usual life."

"The irony is that most of my parents' killers are out on bail while I pass my days in self confinement," she added in a voice choked with emotion.

Momtaz Begum, Bithi's sister-in-law, said, "I used to teach in a school. But now I keep myself in the house fearing attack, especially on Bithi, the witness."

The family lodged a general diary with Badda Police Station a few days ago in connection with receiving threats from unknown callers.

Bithi's only brother Shihab is a guest worker in Malaysia, while her other sister Sathi studies in Japan.