A Dhaka court has placed Ahmed Shahriar Reza Dwip, a junior friend of former Air Force officer Tahsif Souri, on a fresh three-day remand in the murder case filed over Tahsif's death.
Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Md Hasan Shahadat passed the order this afternoon (3 November) after a hearing.
State counsel Shamsuddoha Suman confirmed the development to the media.
After Dwip's four-day remand ended, investigation officer Inspector Firoz Uddin of the Naval Police Tongi Outpost produced him before the court and sought a fresh seven-day remand for further interrogation.
According to the remand petition, Dwip told investigators that he called Tahsif from his home around 3pm on 27 October and took him outside. The two later visited different places with another accused in the case, 19-year-old Jerika Tasnim Disha.
Disha returned home at one point. Around 12:40am on 28 October, Tahsif and Dwip reached the Machher Bostee area of Tongi. While heading towards a field beside the Turag River through Bazar Bostee, they separated after noticing several people, the petition said.
The investigation officer said Dwip had provided important information during interrogation, but investigators were verifying it and would not disclose details at this stage.
The remand petition also said Tahsif was last seen with Dwip and Disha before his death. Investigators need to examine CCTV footage collected from different locations and verify the movements of the three before the incident.
The petition further sought to establish whom Dwip communicated with for 15 to 20 minutes while he was with Tahsif at Nest Bar and Restaurant. Investigators said further interrogation was necessary to establish the motive, identify the crime scene, recover evidence and identify and arrest others involved.
State counsel Shamsuddoha Suman argued in favour of the remand, while lawyers Monirul Islam and Mutasim Billah sought its cancellation on Dwip's behalf.
Suman argued that further interrogation was necessary for a fair investigation, saying Dwip was withholding crucial information about the case.
He said investigators needed to examine CCTV footage and communications to establish the circumstances of the incident and determine whether any foreign intelligence agency or alternative motive was involved.
Defence lawyer Mutasim Billah opposed the fresh remand, questioning the need to repeatedly take his client into custody for interrogation.
He argued that the prosecution was attempting to force a confession from Dwip and said there was no justification for seeking another seven-day remand before the previous four-day remand had ended.
"I have not even applied for his bail today. But there is no justification for taking him into a seven-day remand again before the four-day remand has even ended," he said.
After hearing both sides, the court granted a three-day remand. Dwip was present in the courtroom during the hearing.
Earlier, on 31 October, the court had granted Dwip a four-day remand. Disha, who is also accused in the case, was placed on a four-day remand on 1 November.
Naval Police recovered Tahsif's body from the Rajabari Ghat area of the Turag River on 28 October. Following his death, his father, KM Enayetul Karim, filed a murder case against unidentified persons at Uttarkhan Police Station at 1:05am on 30 October. Police later showed Dwip arrested in connection with the case.
FP/A
