Why was Taqi murdered? Confession details the brutal killing and political vengeance

Twelve years after the murder of 17-year-old Tanvir Muhammad Taqi, a confessional statement by one of the accused has once again shed light on how the teenager was brutally killed under the direct supervision of Azmery Osman, a member of the influential Osman family in Narayanganj.

According to the statement given by accused Kajol Hawladar under Section 164, Taqi was tortured and murdered in the presence of Azmery Osman at his Winner Fashion office on Allama Iqbal Road in Narayanganj on the night of 6 March 2013. 

Kajol claimed to have witnessed the incident, narrating in detail how Taqi's body was later disposed of in the Shitalakshya River.

Kajol said he went to Azmery's office around 8:30pm that night, where several others, including Bhromor, Jaky, Shipon, and Parvez, were already present. Around 10:30pm, a group arrived in an X-Fielder car, bringing Taqi along. 

He was then taken into the inner room, where Azmery and others tortured him for over half an hour. The shouting stopped around 11pm, Kajol said, and shortly after, Taqi's body was carried out and placed in the car's boot before being dumped in the river.

Taqi would have turned 30 today, but his age remains frozen at 17

Court records show that RAB-11 produced Kajol before the court on 15 September 2024 after a five-day remand, during which he made the confession. However, the statement was later withdrawn.

Two other accused, Shipon and Mamun, were arrested earlier and also remanded for questioning.

Taqi, a student of A-Level from ABC International School, was known for his brilliance and compassion. On the day he went missing, 6 March 2013, his A-Level results were published, showing near-perfect scores: 297 out of 300 in Physics and 294 in Chemistry. He had been the highest scorer in the world in physics and the top scorer in chemistry in Bangladesh.

For over a decade, Taqi's family has alleged that the Osman family was behind the killing. His father, Rafiur Rabbi - a left-leaning cultural activist, believes his son was murdered out of political vengeance.

According to leaked probe findings, the murder was orchestrated after Rafiur Rabbi led a series of local movements that challenged the influence of the Osman family. 

These included protests over increased bus fares in 2011, opposition to the illegal occupation of railway land for market construction in 2012, and his active campaigning for Selina Hayat Ivy during the Narayanganj City Corporation election, in which Shamim Osman, backed by the Awami League, suffered a major defeat.

Taqi was killed at Azmery Osman's Winner Fashion office: Accused gives confessional statement

Rabbi said, "My son was a victim of political revenge. They thought I had humiliated and economically hurt them through these movements."

RAB-11 Commander Lt Col Tanvir Mahmud Pasha told media that the agency has been directed by its headquarters to expedite the probe and submit the final report to the court soon. 

"We are working closely with the investigation wing to ensure no innocent person is victimised and no guilty one escapes accountability," he said.

He added that RAB recently revisited the original "torture cell" - now converted into a multi-storey building - along with one of the accused, Shipon, to verify his statements.

Taqi murder: RAB visits Azmery Osman’s torture cell with accused in N’ganj

Demanding justice from the interim government, Rafiur Rabbi urged authorities to "restart the judicial process" and bring the perpetrators to trial.

Despite repeated confessions, eyewitness accounts, and public outrage, the investigation into Taqi's murder remains unfinished, and no charge sheet has yet been submitted, leaving justice frozen, like Taqi's age, at 17.