Wife's affair behind Rangpur lawyer Rathish murder: RAB

FT ONLINE

Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) said on Wednesday that lawyer Rathish Chandra Bhowmik was killed over family dispute, suspicion and extra marital affair of his wife.

RAB Director General (DG) Benazir Ahmed made the disclosure at a press conference in RAB-13 Rangpur office on Wednesday.

RAB chief said victim’s wife Snigdha Sarkar Dipa and her lover Kamrul master planned the murder for about two months. Both of them are teachers of Tajhat High School.

“As per planning, with the help of two teenagers they dug a whole inside an under construction building in Tajhat Mollapara area on Wednesday. On the next day, lawyer Rathish was given 10 sleeping pills through his meal and strangled to death by Kamrul and Snigdha”, he added.

Benazir further said after the killing, the body was stuffed into a closet and taken to the construction cite. They buried the closet with the body inside.

Snigdha Sarkar Dipa confessed to the crime in RAB interrogation. The two teenagers involved in the matter, Sabuj and Rokonuzzaman, were also arrested.

"The arrested persons would be handed over to Kotwali Thana Police today for elaborate investigation into the incident," Benazir Ahmed said.

Thanking the law enforcement agencies for engaging their sincere efforts in bringing an end to the Advocate Bhowmick missing incident, the RAB DG said, "We will now bring all criminals involved with murdering Bhowmick under law of the land."

Early on Wednesday, RAB recovered the body of advocate Rathish Chandra Bhowmik, public prosecutor of Rangpur special court, from Tajhat Mollapara area in Rangpur town following five days of his missing.

The body was unearthed from that building. Then, His brother Sushanta Bhowmik Subal identified the body. Dipa Bhowmik was also taken to the spot, RAB sources said.

A lawyer by profession, Rathish was also involved in other activities. He was the general secretary of Sammilito Sangskritik Jot of Rangpur district unit, vice president of Rangpur District Lawyers' Association, law affairs secretary of district Awami League (AL), and a trustee of Hindu, Buddhist, Christian Oikya Parishad in the district.

Rathish stood for the state during hearings of the sensational Japanese national Kunio Hoshi murder case and Khadem of a 'Mazar' Rahamat Ali murder case as the Special PP in the Special Judge Court of Rangpur.

In the recently announced verdicts of both cases, the Special Judge Court sentenced a total of eight militants belonging to the outlawed militant organisation Jama'atul Mujahedeen Bangladesh (JMB).

Earlier, Shushanto Bhowmick, younger brother of Advocate Bhowmick, filed a case in connection with missing of the lawyer under sections 164 and 34 with Kotwali Thana on April 1 last.