Arrested Ashish Roy Chowdhury, a fugitive accused in a case filed over the murder of film actor Sohel Chowdhury, planned fleeing to Canada from Bangladesh on April 7 after the issuance of arrest warrant, said Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) on Wednesday.
"But, Ashish Roy Chowdhury or Bottle Chowdhury's well wishers advised him to leave the country taking bail from court after surrender. They also assured him that he would not be arrested before that," said Commander Khondker Al-Moin, director of the Legal and Media Wing of RAB, while addressing a press conference at RAB Media Centre at Kawran Bazar in the capital on Wednesday afternoon.
Actor Sohel Chowdhury was shot and killed on December 18, 1998 in sequel to his heated arguments with Aziz Mohammad Bhai. Ashish Roy Chowdhury was one of the masterminds of the murder. He divulged information about his involvement in Sohel Chowdhury murder.
Quoting Ashish, Al-Moin said a club called 'Trumps' was set up under joint ownership of Ashish and Asadul Islam alias Bunty Islam at Abedin Tower in Banani in 1996. Various unsocial activities used to take place there. At one stage, the club had turned into a den of underworld dons and gang leaders. Aziz Mohammad Bhai used to visit the club frequently. He used to go to the club regularly to hold meetings with the underworld gangs of Dhaka city. Because of it, a close relationship had developed among Bunty, Ashish and Aziz Mohammad. These three persons used to control the activities of underworld gangs operating in Dhaka city.
RAB said there was Banani Jame Mosque adjacent to the Trumps club. Joining the hands with the mosque committee, actor Sohel Chowdhury tried to stop the unsocial activities of the club, but failed. He also lodged protest against it along with the mosque committee.
"As Sohel Chowdhury made attempts to close the club, he became the target of Bunty, Ashish, Aziz Mohammad and the then top terror Sanzidul Islam Imon. On July 24, 1998, there was an altercation between Sohel Chowdhury and Aziz Mohammad. He also assaulted Sohel. Being angry over Sohel, Aziz requested Bunty and Ashish to take revenge against Sohel," said Commander Al-Moin, quoting Ashish.
The RAB spokesman said, "Ashish and Bunty planned to killed Sohel Chowdhury. Then they gave the proposal of murder to top terror Imon. Imon agreed to the proposal and then committed the killing."
RAB said at about 3:00am on December 18, 1998, actor Sohel Chowdhury was shot dead at the Trumps Club premises at Banani. His brother Towhidul Islam filed a case (No. 59) with the Gulshan police station the next day.
Detective Branch of Police filed a charge sheet to a court in Dhaka against nine people on July 30, 1999. The Dhaka 3rd Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge Court framed charges in the murder case against nine persons on July 30, 2001. The case was later transferred to Dhaka Speedy Trial Tribunal-2 for further proceedings.
Challenging the legality of transferring the case to the Speedy Trial Tribunal-2, prime accused Adnan Siddiqui submitted a writ petition to the High Court after two years. Responding to the writ, the High Court on February 17, 2004, passed an order issuing a rule and staying the court proceedings.
Later on August 5, 2015, a High Court bench delivered a verdict cancelling the previous rule. Besides, the stay order of the High Court was withdrawn.
On March 28 this year, the court issued arrest warrant against six absconding accused for their failure to appear at the court, while the RAB collected the copy of arrest warrant after a month. On Tuesday night, RAB Ashish, chief operating officer of Regent Airways, after cordoning off a house ats Gulshan-1 in the capital.
The law enforcers also seized 23 bottles of foreign liquor and some beer cans at the House No. 25/B on Road No. 107 near the Pink City in the area.
