Former MP Anwarul Azim's remains identified in India through DNA test

Seven months after former Jhenaidah-4 lawmaker Anwarul Azim Anar went missing in Kolkata, forensic evidence has confirmed that dismembered body parts recovered from West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district belong to him.

The confirmation came after Azim's daughter, Mumtarin Ferdous Dorin, submitted her DNA sample to the Kolkata Police last month.

Following an analysis by the Central Forensic Science Laboratory in Kolkata, it was determined that the remains matched Dorin's DNA.

An official familiar with the investigation revealed that the DNA analysis confirmed the recovered remains as those of Anwarul Azim, according to reports by Bangladeshi media.

Anwarul Azim, a former Awami League lawmaker for Jhenaidah-4 constituency, arrived in India on 12 May this year and stayed at the Baranagar residence of his acquaintance, Gopal Biswas.

On 13 May, Azim left the house, reportedly for medical treatment, and never returned. That night, he was allegedly murdered at a duplex flat in New Town's Sanjeeva Garden complex.

Investigations revealed Azim's involvement in cross-border smuggling activities, particularly gold trafficking, which had reportedly built a vast illegal network between Bangladesh and West Bengal.

Law enforcement officials suggested the murder may have been linked to disputes over smuggling operations.

CID investigators discovered that after murdering Azim, the perpetrators dismembered his body and disposed of it in various locations.

CCTV footage from the Sanjeeva Garden complex showed one of the suspects, Bangladeshi national Siam Hossain. Siam and another suspect, Jihad Howlader, were arrested in May and June, respectively.

According to police, Jihad, a butcher by profession, used sharp tools to dismember Azim's body, placing the parts into large plastic bags. The remains were later discarded in the Krishna Mati canal area of Bhangar block in South 24 Parganas.

Some of Azim's remains were also found in the septic tank of the Sanjeeva Garden complex, including approximately four kilogrammes of decomposed flesh.

Forensic testing confirmed the remains matched the DNA sample provided by Azim's daughter.  

The investigation involved collaboration between Bangladesh's Dhaka Metropolitan Police Detective Branch (DB) and West Bengal's CID.

A team led by DMP's former additional deputy commissioner Harun Or Rashid visited Kolkata, inspected the crime scenes, and held multiple meetings with CID officials.

In August, the CID submitted a 1,200-page charge sheet to the Barasat District Court in North 24 Parganas. Charges against the accused include abduction with intent to murder (Indian Penal Code 364), criminal homicide (IPC 302), destruction of evidence (IPC 201), organised criminal activity (IPC 34), and violations of the Foreigners Act.