Translated by HRCBM from The Daily Sangbad, dated 24 December 2002
The
Daily Sangbad, December 24, 2002: Chittagong Bureau Reporter: After long
eight-months since the murder of the Buddhist monk, Gyan Jyoti Barua, the whole
plot in the slaying has started to unravel. In the Magistrate Court, yesterday
(Monday, December 23, 2002), a key member of the killer group, Elaich Mohammed,
confessed (under Section 164) that he himself slaughtered Gyan Jyoti Barua. In
his confession he acknowledged that he took part in the killing mission that
comprised of a group of seven men headed by the NDP cadre, Aziz. According to
the court sources, Elaich stated that the victim’s cousin, Putul Master, was
the one who led the seven to the scene of the murder.
A
related source advised that at 11 AM yesterday, the assassin, Elaich Mohammed,
made his confession under Section 164, before District Magistrate, Kamruzzaman,
in his chamber. In his confession statement lasting an hour and a quarter,
Elaich Mohammed described the whole slaying incident in detail. In his
confession statement he noted that the murder plan was made in the premises of
the orphanage built by the victim, Buddhist monk Gyan Jyoti Barua. Putul Master
was the originator of the plan. NDP cadre Aziz had hired Elaich Mohammed to
carry out the slaying. At the orphanage premises, Putul Master navigated the
seven men who took part in the killing mission. Six of them were led to Gyan
Jyoti’s room, whilst the seventh one guarded the staircase. During his
confession, Elaich Mohammed informed the Magistrate that he himself slaughtered
the monk with his own hands. At the end of his confession, the Magistrate
ordered that Elaich be held in prison.
Half an hour past midnight, on 21 April 2002, Gyan Jyoti Barua was killed
at the orphanage that he had built in Hingla, Raujan. Shortly after the slaying
took place, the police arrested Gyan Jyoti’s sister-in-law and his cousin,
Putul Barua. Both of them were
later released on bail. The news of the murder of Gyan Jyoti Barua received
widespread attention including calls for action from the Buddhist institutions
in Bangladesh, as well as, from many human rights organisations. Prior to that
the police arrested no one. The case has been under investigation by Criminal
Investigation Department of Bangladesh.
A.K.M. Mohiuddin, Sub-inspector at Mahanagar
(town) Detective Police, headed a special team, which arrested Elaich Mohammed
(he was in possession of a Chinese AK47 rifle at the time) at 6 PM in the
City-gate area of the town. Subsequently, under police interrogation, he
confessed his role in the murder of the Buddhist monk, and on yesterday, he gave
his confession statement at the Magistrate Court.