Munia murder case: Family demands reinvestigation, justice

The family of college student Mosarat Jahan Munia, whose body was found in a Gulshan flat in 2021, today demanded reinvestigation into the rape and murder case filed against Bashundhara Group Managing Director Sayem Sobhan Anvir and seven others.
Saying that previous investigation officers were bribed to cover up Anvir’s crimes, Munia’s sister Nusrat Jahan Tania appealed to the interim government to immediately arrest and interrogate the accused.
Tania, the complainant of the case, was speaking at a press conference in her lawyers’ presence at the Jatiya Press Club.
Following Munia’s death, two cases were field against Anvir his family members and some others. The accused were later cleared in both cases.
The other case was filed over abetting her death by suicide.
Tania alleged that several law enforcement officials, including the then inspector general of police Benazir Ahmed and deputy commissioner of Gulshan Division, played a “shameless role” in saving Anvir and relieving him of the charges.
She termed the previous investigation on the murder and rape case and the order of the court as blatant examples of the culture of lawlessness during the Awami League regime.
She hoped that by ensuring justice for Munia, the culture of impunity in the country would stop.
Tania expressed her frustration at not being able to meet former prime minister Sheikh Hasina despite repeated attempts. She said she wrote a 26-page letter and sent it to her several times to seek her attention.
Replying to a query, M Sarwar Hossain, Tania’s lawyer, said officials of the wing of the home ministry which supervises sensational murder cases, police and the court were influenced through bribes.
The lawyer also alleged that former law minister Anisul Huq, who is currently on remand in a murder case, played a key role in the cover-up.
“Why did the investigation officer not arrest Anvir to interrogate him? Why did the investigation officer not collect DNA samples from Anvir and take steps to match them with those found on Munia’s body?” he asked.
When asked why they were holding a press conference instead of going to a higher court, the lawyer said, “We are in the midst of a legal process.”
The family hoped that pressure from the media and civil society could ensure justice amid the changed circumstances following the ouster of the Awami League government, he added.
Tania alleged that Anvir had offered her bribes, through intermediaries, of Tk 20 crore to drop the case.
Police recovered the body of the 21-year-old college student from a Gulshan flat on April 26, 2021.
Tania then filed a case with Gulshan Police Station against Anvir over instigating the victim to her death by suicide.
On July 19, 2021, the investigation officer of the case and also Gulshan Police Station OC Abul Hasan, submitted the probe report to Dhaka Chief Metropolitan Magistrate’s Court and appealed that Anvir be relieved of the charges of abetting suicide.
Following the probe report, Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Rajesh Chowdhury on August 18 of the same year accepted the final report and relieved Anvir from the charges of the case.
Later, the victim’s elder sister on September 6 of the same year filed a case with the Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal-8 of Dhaka, bringing allegations of rape and murder.
Ahmed Akbar Sobhan alias Shah Alam, chairman of Bashundhara Group, and six others were also accused in the case.
On September 29 the same year, the High Court refused to grant anticipatory bail to Anvir in the case.
On October 19 of 2022, Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) submitted a probe report clearing all the accused, including Anvir of the charges over the rape and murder of Munia.
After the rape and murder case was filed, Bashundhara Group in a statement said the group’s chairman, managing director and any other family members were not involved in the incident.
Signed by Mohammad Abu Toyab, adviser, press and media of Bashundhara Group, the statement said the case is conspiratorial and the complainant intentionally made the case with baseless, unrealistic and fictional information to belittle Bashundhara Group.