Body found in 26 pieces: One suspect claims romance trap, another cites love triangle
Two arrestees placed on 5-day remand
Police and RAB have arrested two suspects over the brutal murder of Ashraful Haque, whose dismembered body was discovered near the National Eidgah ground on Thursday, but the two agencies have presented sharply different accounts of the motive as the investigation deepens.
At separate press briefings in Dhaka today (15 November), both forces confirmed the arrests but outlined conflicting narratives after interrogating the suspects. RAB said the killing was driven by a plot to extort Tk10 lakh, while police said the crime stemmed from a love triangle.
Ashraful, 42, a raw materials trader, was found cut into 26 pieces and stuffed into two plastic drums left near the High Court area. His sister, Anjina Begum, later filed a case at Shahbagh Police Station, naming her brother's friend, Jarezul, as the prime suspect.
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On Friday, the Detective Branch arrested Md Jarezul Islam during a raid in Daudkandi, Cumilla. On the same day, RAB-3 detained Shamima Akhter Kohinur, described as Jarezul's girlfriend, from her home in nearby Laksam. A Dhaka court subsequently placed the pair on a five-day remand.
Extortion behind killing: RAB
Lieutenant Colonel Fayezul Arefin, commanding officer of RAB-3, said the suspects had been in a romantic relationship for more than a year. According to RAB, Jarezul convinced Shamima that they could lure his friend Ashraful into an intimate relationship and then extort Tk10 lakh by threatening to leak compromising videos.
Shamima began contacting Ashraful a month earlier, building trust through regular audio and video calls. When Ashraful travelled to Dhaka on 11 November, she rented a flat in Noorpur, Shanir Akhra, and met him there along with Jarezul.
RAB officials said Shamima mixed sleeping pills into a glass of juice to make Ashraful unconscious. After he collapsed, Jarezul allegedly filmed intimate footage of the two as part of the planned blackmail.
By noon on 12 November, Ashraful was still unconscious. RAB claims that Jarezul, under the influence of yaba, bound him with a rope, taped his mouth, and beat him to death with a hammer.
The body was left in a room overnight. RAB said the suspects then bought a machete and two plastic drums the following morning. Jarezul used the machete to cut the body into 26 pieces before placing them inside the drums.
The pair hired an autorickshaw and later switched vehicles before leaving the containers under a tree near the High Court. They fled towards Sayedabad and then returned separately to Cumilla.
Love triangle that turned violent: DB
At a separate briefing, Additional Commissioner (DB) Mohammad Shafiqul Islam told reporters that tensions arose after a complicated relationship involving all three individuals, UNB reports.
According to police, Jarezul, a Malaysian expatriate, met Shamima on the Bigo Live app. After returning to Bangladesh about six weeks ago, he resumed contact with her, leading to friction with his wife. She then sought Ashraful's help, hoping he would dissuade Jarezul from pursuing the relationship.
Instead, Ashraful himself became involved with Shamima. Both men allegedly planned to travel abroad, and Ashraful had promised to arrange Tk14 lakh to help send his friend to Japan, with Shamima expected to contribute Tk7 lakh.
The three travelled to Dhaka on 12 November and rented a house in Demra. According to the police, they cleaned the flat and bought a mattress, curtains, and other essentials.
Police said the three engaged in consensual physical relations, but an argument erupted when Ashraful demanded acts that Shamima refused. She began crying, prompting Jarezul to intervene.
Police said Shamima tied Ashraful's hands, after which Jarezul hit him with a hammer. When Ashraful screamed, Shamima used her scarf and tape to restrain him. He died from the assault and suffocation.
Shocked and unsure what to do, the pair stayed overnight with the body. The next morning, they purchased two drums, a machete, and polythene sheets before dismembering the body in the bathroom and abandoning it near the Eidgah grounds.
