The Police Bureau of Investigation today arrested Khairul Islam Kalu, a charge-sheeted accused in the murder case of Mahmuda Akhtar Mitu -- wife of former police superintendent Babul Akhtar -- from the Akbar Shah area in the port city after seven years of the killing.
PBI arrested him from Chinnamul area last night. He used to work as a security guard there, reports our local correspondent quoting PBI Metro Unit Superintendent of Police Naima Sultana.
He was handed over to Rangunia Police Station after his arrest, she said.
Officer-in-Charge of Rangunia Police Station Mahbub Milki said, "There were two warrants against him. One with Pachlaish Police Station and another with Rangunia Police Station. He was later sent to court."
On March 13, the court framed charges against six people including former police official Babul in Mitu murder case.
The other accused are -- Kamrul Islam Musa, Ehteshamul Haque Bhola alias Haniful Haque, Motaleb Mia Wasim, Md Anwar Hossain, Md Khairul Islam Kalu and Md Shahjahan Mia. Bhola is now on bail and absconding since Musa's murder.
Along with Musa, Kalu and others shot and stabbed Mitu to death. After the grisly murder in 2016, a bounty of Tk 5 lakh was declared by the CMP to catch Musa and Kalu alive.
The PBI last year pressed charges against Babul and six others, alleging that Babul was the mastermind of the murder. In the 2,084-page charge sheet, the PBI named 97 witnesses.
The dramatic turnaround from complainant to prime accused happened after Babul was summoned for interrogation to Chattogram PBI metro office in May 2021.
PBI officials said Babul had been involved in an extramarital affair while he was in Cox's Bazar as an additional SP there.
He hired the mercenaries to murder his wife.
Testimonies were given by Sayful Haque -- Babul's business partner -- and Kazi Al Mamun, a relative of fugitive accused Musa before the court in this regard.
Sayful said he arranged the money from Babul's share of profits from their business and sent the money via mobile banking service to Musa, said a top PBI official.
On June 5, 2016, Mitu was stabbed and shot dead when she was walking her son to his school-bus stop at the port city's GEC intersection. After the murder, Babul filed a case against three unidentified men with Panchlaish Police Station.
