The West Bengal CID investigating the murder of Bangladesh MP Anwarul Azim Anar has sent the flesh and strands of hair recovered from the septic tank of a flat in New Town on Tuesday for forensic and DNA tests. Police suspect the main accused, a butcher, disposed of the remains of Anar after chopping them up into pieces and mixing them with turmeric.
Harun-or-Rashid, the Detective Branch chief of Dhaka Metropolitan Police who is in India to take part in the ongoing investigations, said any development in the case can be confirmed only after the test results come.
"We opened the sewage line and septic tank of that duplex flat (murder site) with the help of West Bengal CID and found (samples of ) flesh there," he told media persons. A total of around 3.5 kg of flesh and some strands of hair were recovered from the septic tank.
The investigation officials assume that the blood was drained out of the bathroom of the flat where the Awami League MP was strangled to death. A team of police officers had examined the drain pipes and the septic tank.
Besides, searches are also being conducted in the Bagjola canal adjacent to an amusement park near Rajarhat. However, finding the body parts would be tough due to heavy rainfall following Cyclone Remal on Monday.
"It's been over a fortnight that the crime was carried out. The body parts were chopped into smaller parts and there was a high chance that those were eaten up by aquatic animals. The Bagjola Canal has dirty water and the body parts could be swept away by the flow," the police officer said.
Divers were employed to spot the body parts as well as the murder tools from the canal, he added.
Harun-or-Rashid confirmed on Tuesday that the investigation team received circumstantial and digital evidence. "We will also record the statement of the accused butcher. After interrogation, we matched the statement with our accused in Bangladesh. We also got circumstantial evidence and we are matching it," he added.
The officials are also planning to get in touch with Interpol and the CID to identify the prime suspect behind the killing.
Anwarul Azim Anar. (Right) The flat where the MP was murdered | PTI
The death of the MP came to light after an acquaintance of the Bangladeshi politician approached the police to file a missing complaint. Gopal Biswas, a resident of Baranagar, told the police on May 18 that Anar went incommunicado on May 17. Anar had stayed at Biswas's house upon arrival from Bangladesh for medical treatment on May 12.
