Investigators consider four things probing attack on Zafar Iqbal

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 DHAKA, March 5, 2018 (BSS) – The investigation into the knife attack on eminent writer Prof Dr Muhammad Zafar Iqbal has started today putting focus on four things such as finding out masterminds, motive, identity of the attacker/s and the organization involved in the heinous act.

“We have formally started investigation into the attack on Prof Iqbal with top most priority and the mystery behind the attack will soon be unearthed,” Golam Kibria Sylhet Metropolitan Police (SMP) Commissioner told BSS today.

The investigation officer has visited the place of occurrence today and inquired some people who witnessed the attack, he said, adding that no fresh arrest was made, but the parents of the detained attacker Faizur Rahman surrendered before police last night.

“As part of the investigation, I have visited the place of occurrence and spent four to five hours here for inquiring people including the organizers of the function who have witnessed the attack,” investigation officer of the case and also officer-in-charge (OC) of Jalalabad Police Station told BSS today.

“I also visited the arrested Faizur Rahman at the hospital today and inquired him about different aspects of the attack,” he said. But he declined to divulge more information about the inquiry for the sake of investigation.

“We are considering four things in the investigation such as – finding out masterminds if there are any, motive, identity of the attacker/s and the organization involved in the heinous act,” he also said.

Asked about the motive and number of people involved in the attack he said, “We are yet to know the exact reason but the detainee told us that he alone have launched the attack on Prof Iqbal as he believes that he (Prof Iqbal) is the enemy of Islam.”

Commander of RAB-9 Lt Col Ali Haider Azad Ahmed told BSS today that they are conducting an informal investigation into the attack side by side the investigation conducted by the police.

He said, there is nothing new to disclose before the media, he added, “We will let you (media) people know if anything new is found.”

Earlier, on Saturday afternoon, Prof Iqbal, Head of the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering (EEE) of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST), came under a knife attack on the university campus in Sylhet.

Prof Iqbal was initially treated at the MAG Osmani Medical College and Hospital in Sylhet where he had 27 stitches and was given two bags of blood. He was later flown to Combined Military Hospital (CMH) in Dhaka on Sunday midnight. He is now out of danger.

On Sunday afternoon, an attempt to murder case was filed mentioning the name of one accused and more four to five unidentified persons with Jalalabad Police Station in Sylhet.

However, the nationwide protest against the attack is continuing for the third consecutive day today demanding immediate punishment of those involved in the attack and finding out the masterminds behind it.

The teachers of SUST organized a three-hour sit-in to protest the attack on their colleague Pro Iqbal from 11am to 1pm demanding immediate punishment of the culprits involved in the attack.

Describing the attack as a heinous crime, Vice-Chancellor Farid Uddin Ahmed of the SUST demanded immediate punishment of those involved in the attack saying, “We have formed a probe body to this end and asked them to file a report soon.