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Police have arrested a key suspect in the killing of journalist Lutfuzzaman Fakir, popularly known as Alif Fakir, in Durgapur, Netrokona, as investigators suspect a larger network was behind the murder.
The suspect, Apurbo, 22, was arrested near an old cinema hall in Durgapur Bazar shortly after midnight on Saturday, Officer-in-Charge of Durgapur Police Station Khandaker Shaker Ahmed confirmed.
According to police, Apurbo was among the accused who gave a confessional statement under Section 164 in a high-profile police murder case in Netrokona. Investigators said the attackers had allegedly mistaken a police officer who resembled Alif for the journalist and killed him while attempting to target Alif.
Police said they tracked Apurbo’s whereabouts and arrested him after receiving specific information about his movements.
Preliminary findings suggest that five to six people were directly involved in Alif’s killing, while a wider network, including alleged financiers, may also have been involved, police said. Investigators reportedly obtained important information about the murder during initial questioning of the arrested suspect.
Alif, a former army member and operator of the Facebook page Detective Article, was shot dead at around 8:15pm on Thursday, October 15, in front of a shop near his father-in-law’s house in Telunjia village, in the Birishiri-Utrail area of Durgapur upazila. He sustained six gunshot wounds, according to the report.
Following the killing, his wife, Anondita Sangma, filed a murder case with Durgapur Police Station against seven to eight unidentified people.
A joint team comprising the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI), Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and district Detective Branch (DB) is continuing operations to identify and arrest others allegedly involved in the killing.
The investigation is ongoing, and the allegations against the arrested suspect have yet to be established in court.