Surprised over the murder in broad daylight in front of the public, the High Court has expressed its ire over the failure to arrest the main culprits and asked the authorities to prevent them from fleeing abroad.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has ordered the law enforcers to immediately arrest the murderers, according to Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader.
Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal hopes police will catch the main accused “very soon’.
Police in Barguna have so far arrested three people in connection with the killing.
Two of them, ‘Chandan’ and ‘Hasan’, are among the 12 named in a case initiated by Refat’s father. The other arrestee is Nazmul Hasan.
Refat’s wife Aysha Siddika Minny said the lead assailant, Nayon, had been sexually harassing her at different times before she married Refat two months ago.
Among the other assailants, she could recognise Rifat Forazi and Rishan Forazi, both relatives of Barguna District Council Chairman Delwar Hossain.
Aysha said some youths started beating Refat up when the couple were returning home from Barguna Government College where Aysha is a first-year undergraduate student, on Wednesday morning.
Later, Nayon, Rifat and Rishan started hacking Refat, she said.
Refat died from excessive bleeding from a number of wounds on Wednesday afternoon, according to doctor Jamil Hossain who conducted the post-mortem examination at the Barishal Medical College Hospital on Thursday.
A video of Aysha desperately trying to save Refat has gone viral on social media.
Barguna Sadar Police Station OC Abir Mohammad Hossain said Nayon had claimed Aysha to be his wife.
Nayon’s mother Shahida Begum made the same claim.
She told reporters that Nayon and Aysha married in October last year but divorced within three months and later Aysha developed a relationship with Refat.
Nayon is accused of trading in drugs, carrying out attacks, creating panic and different other charges.
He had been arrested by police once, locals said.
Deputy Inspector General of Police for Barishal Range Md Shafiqul Islam said no accused in the Refat murder case will be let off the hook.
“All of them will be arrested and face trial,” he said.
