The High Court has granted six months of interim bail to Sayedul Islam Sikder, the brother of prime suspect Kamrul Islam Shikder alias Musa in the murder of police officer’s wife Mahmuda Aktar Mitu.
A High Court bench made the decision after hearing a bail petition on Tuesday and also issued a rule.
In addition to the interim bail, the court asked the state why it should not grant the suspect permanent bail, and ordered it to respond within four weeks, said defence counsel Kumar Debul De.
“Sayedul Islam Sikder’s name is not mentioned in the case documents. Those who have confessed during their interrogations have not named him as a perpetrator.”
On Jun 5, 2016, Mitu, wife of police counter-terrorism officer Babul Aktar, was stabbed and shot in the head by attackers while she was taking their son to a school bus at OR Nizam Road.
Police arrested six people within a month of the murder near GEC Intersection on Jun 5 last year. Two other suspects were killed in a so-called gunfight with police.
But Kamrul Islam Shikder alias Musa, who police say masterminded the murder, and 'Kalu', who allegedly took part in the murder directly, are yet to be caught, according to the law enforcers.
"We are investigating the case. It's a continuous process," said detective Kamruzzaman.
Musa's wife Panna Aktar, however, claimed at a press conference a month after the murder that her husband was picked up by a police team led by the then OC of Port Police Station Mohiuddin Selim on Jun 22 that year.
Police have denied the claim.
Chittagong Metropolitan Police Commissioner Iqbal Bahar announced Tk 500,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of Musa and Kalu.
Musa was a source of SP Babul when he was posted in Chittagong.
After Mitu was knifed and shot dead near their house in the port city, her parents did not say anything that could indicate they were suspecting Babul.
The decorated police officer also started staying in his in-laws' house in Dhaka with their children.
But now, Mitu's father Mosharraf Hossain, who is also a former police official, has pointed his finger at Babul.
Mosharraf demanded police take the claims of Babul's extra-marital affairs as lead in the murder case.
The former SP allegedly had affairs with an Indian citizen, Gayatri Singh, and a woman from Jhenaidah, Banani Binte Bashir.
"Police are yet to interrogate them (the women)," Mosharraf said on Sunday.
Babul Aktar, however, refuted the allegations and demanded 'speedy and proper' investigation.
He said he communicated with the IO regularly, but declined to comment on the progress of the investigation. "He can tell you better about the investigation," Babul added.
He handed in his resignation letter within a month of the murder of his wife, according to Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan. The resignation was accepted later, in September last year.