Rangpur Businessman Murdered in Dhaka, Body Found Dismembered in 26 Pieces; Two Arrested

Rangpur businessman Ashraful Haque fell into a love triangle trap set by his friend, Zorezul Islam, and Zorezul’s girlfriend, Shamima Akter. The tragic consequence was the recovery of his body, dismembered into 26 pieces, from a plastic drum in Dhaka. Law enforcement agencies reported that this sensational information emerged during the interrogation of the two individuals arrested in connection with the murder.

Two Differing Motives for the Killing:
On Saturday (November 15) morning, after arresting Shamima, RAB (Rapid Action Battalion) held a press conference. They stated that Zorezul had initially planned to use his girlfriend to trap his friend Ashraful and extort 10 lakh Taka (approximately $10,000). However, Shamima was unable to clearly explain why Ashraful was killed instead of just being extorted.

On the other hand, the Detective Branch (DB) of the Police arrested Zorezul on Friday night from Daudkandi, Cumilla. On Saturday afternoon, at a press conference organized at the DMP Media Center, Additional Commissioner of Police (DB Chief) Md. Shafiqul Islam stated that the incident was essentially a “love triangle story.”

It is worth noting that on Thursday (November 13) evening, Ashraful’s dismembered body (26 pieces) was recovered from a blue drum near the National Eidgah Gate adjacent to the High Court in the capital. His identity was confirmed through fingerprints.

How the Incident Unfolded (DB Investigation):
The DB investigation revealed that Zorezul, who was an expatriate in Malaysia, returned to Bangladesh about a month and a half ago. While abroad, he had developed a relationship with Shamima from Cumilla through social media. When Zorezul returned, his wife became aware of the affair. The wife then sought the help of Zorezul’s close friend, Ashraful (the victim), asking him to persuade Shamima to leave their lives.

However, after Ashraful called Shamima, a new romantic relationship eventually developed between them. They regularly spoke and video chatted.

At one point, Ashraful and Shamima planned to send Zorezul to Japan, for which they would spend 14 lakh Taka (7 lakh each). Shamima asked both friends (Zorezul and Ashraful) to come to Dhaka to finalize this process. On Wednesday, they checked into a rented flat in Sayedabad.

The DB Chief stated that in the flat, Zorezul and Shamima tried to incapacitate Ashraful by giving him sleeping pills but failed. When Ashraful attempted to become intimate with Shamima, Zorezul intervened, and an argument broke out, causing Zorezul to leave the flat. When he returned later, Shamima told him Ashraful had fallen asleep.

However, Ashraful woke up. When Ashraful reportedly forced Shamima for “perverted sexual acts,” Shamima, under false pretense, tied his hands with a rope. When Ashraful screamed, Zorezul, who was hiding, struck Ashraful’s knee with a hammer. As Ashraful continued to scream, Shamima stuffed a scarf into his mouth and secured it with scotch tape, causing him to die shortly after.

The two suspects remained in the flat with the body overnight. On Thursday morning, they bought a drum and dismembered the body into 26 pieces. They then covered it with rice, took it in a CNG-run auto-rickshaw, dumped the drum near the High Court, and fled.