Mystery has been looming over the murder of Member of Parliament (MP) from Jhenaidah-4 Constituency Anwarul Azim Anar who was killed in Kolkata as the body has not yet been found.
"He [MP Anar] was brutally killed at a flat in New Town, near Kolkata. It was a preplanned murder. We have got information that people from our country were involved in the killing,” Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan said at a press briefing held at his Dhanmondi residence on Wednesday (22 May).
Responding to a question about the recovery of the body, the minister refused to reveal any information for the sake of the investigation.
“All information including the motive of the murder, where the murder took place, and who were involved in it, will be told to the media later,” he added.
Meanwhile, Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Commissioner Habibur Rahman said they learned from news reports that MP Anar was murdered in Kolkata.
Anar travelled to India for medical treatment on 11 May, his personal assistant Abdur Rauf told the media.
He said Anar kept in touch with his family and party members for the first two days. However all communication with MP Anar had been lost since 14 May, and his WhatsApp number was unreachable.
DMP Detective Branch (DB) chief Mohammad Harun Or Rashid said they are working to uncover the mystery.
“The victim's daughter will file a case. Our officials are fully supporting her,” he said.
“The daughter of the deceased MP has come to us. This incident is shocking. He is a popular representative of the Jhenaidah Kaliganj area. The common people of his area are stunned. We are working diligently to uncover the reasons behind his murder,” he added.
DMP DB chief also said they are in close contact with the Indian police.
A case has been filed with the Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Police Station today as the MP had departed the country for India from the Sangsad Bhaban area, he added.
“For the sake of the investigation, we cannot say everything. Criminals brutally killed a member of parliament. Some have been arrested. We will bring everyone involved to justice,” he further said.
According to local media reports, Anar came to Kolkata on 12 May and stayed in the New Town flat of Gopal Biswas, a resident of the city’s Sinthee area in Baranagar.
On 13 May, Anwarul Azim Anar left the house and got into a rented car. He left the house at 1:41pm but has not been found since then, local media added.
Citing police sources local media outlets also reported that MP Anar was staying at a luxury residence named Sanjeeva Gardens in New Town with a female companion and three people.
It is also known that the flat in which he was killed belongs to a former excise duty official, MP Anar was allegedly killed there, the local media said.
The MP's daughter, Mumtarin Ferdous Doreen complained to the Bangladesh police after they had not been able to contact Anwarul Azim Anar for several days, after which the investigation began.
She filed a missing diary at Baranagar police station on 18 May, said Indian media.
Based on that, the Kolkata police started an investigation.
Anwarul Azim Anar, a member of the Awami League, was elected as the MP for the Jhenaidah-4 constituency in 2014, 2018, and 2024, serving three consecutive terms.
