Opratim beaten to death to snatch his mobile phone: Police

Police say they have solved the murder of Ishayat Shahriar Opratim, a 13-year-old schoolboy from Cumilla. 

He was deliberately taken to a forested area in the Lalmai Hills with the intention of snatching his mobile phone and was then killed. 

Four people have been detained in connection with the case.

Cumilla Superintendent of Police (SP) Md. Anisuzzaman revealed the details at a press conference on Sunday at 2:30 pm.

Opratim was the son of Dr. Nahida Begum, an Associate Professor in the Department of Bangla at Cumilla University, and businessman K.M. Firoz Shahriar.

According to the SP, last Friday at 3:12 pm the accused, Tuhin, took Opratim to a remote forest area known as Sananda in the Lalmai Hills. Tuhin was identified from CCTV footage and taken into custody. 

During initial questioning he confessed that the plan to take Opratim there was made specifically to snatch his mobile phone, said the SP.

Tuhin named two friends, Fahad and Kamrul, as also involved. Police later detained both of them.

Preliminary investigation and confessions indicate that between 5:00 pm and 6:00 pm that day, Opratim resisted the attempt to snatch his phone. A scuffle took place. Then, Tuhin, followed by Fahad and Kamrul, struck Opratim on the head with bamboo sticks. After confirming he was dead, Tuhin took the mobile phone and fled the area with the others. 

Opratim’s body was recovered from the Sananda area of the Lalmai Hills on Saturday afternoon.

Another youth, Siam, has also been detained on suspicion of involvement. Evidence against him is being verified.

The SP identified the arrested suspects as Saiful Islam Tuhin, 19, son of Noor Alam and a resident of the Sananda area in Ward No. 24 of Cumilla city, who dropped out after failing Class 11 at Comilla City College; Mofazzel Hossain Fahad, 15, of Salmanpur (Member Bari) in the same ward and a Class 9 student at Mainamati Technical School and College; Md. Kamrul Hasan, 18, of Hatigara village in the southern upazila; and Md. Siam, 19, of Elahipur village in the same upazila.

An investigation is continuing to determine whether anyone else was involved. None of the detainees has a prior criminal record. 

Tuhin, Fahad and Kamrul have already been formally arrested in the murder case. 

Police will submit a report to the court after verifying Siam’s involvement and completing further investigation.

Opratim beaten to death during mobile phone snatching attempt: Police

Police claim to have solved the mystery behind the murder of Ishayat Shahriar Opratim, a 13-year-old school student, in Cumilla. He was deliberately taken to a secluded, forest-covered area in the Lalmai Hills with the intention of snatching his mobile phone and was subsequently killed. Police have detained four individuals accused of involvement in the incident.

Cumilla Superintendent of Police (SP) Md. Anisuzzaman disclosed these details at a press conference on Sunday at 2:30 PM.

The deceased, Opratim, was the son of Dr. Nahida Begum, an Associate Professor in the Department of Bangla at Cumilla University, and businessman K.M. Firoz Shahriar.

The SP stated that last Friday at 3:12 PM, the accused, Tuhin, took Opratim to a secluded forest area known as 'Sananda' in the Lalmai Hills. Tuhin was taken into custody for questioning after the incident was observed in CCTV footage. During initial interrogation, Tuhin confessed that the plan to take Opratim to the location was hatched specifically to snatch his mobile phone.

Under questioning, Tuhin revealed that two other friends, Fahad and Kamrul, were also involved in the incident. Subsequently, the police took Fahad and Kamrul into custody.

Based on the preliminary investigation and confessions, police reported that between 5:00 PM and 6:00 PM on the day of the incident, Opratim resisted when the attempt to snatch his mobile phone was made. A scuffle ensued. At one point, Tuhin—followed by Fahad and Kamrul—struck Opratim on the head with bamboo sticks. Once his death was confirmed, Tuhin took the mobile phone and fled the area with his accomplices. The body was recovered from the Sananda area of Lalmai Hills the following day, Saturday afternoon.

Additionally, another youth named Siam has been detained on suspicion of involvement, and the evidence gathered against him is currently being verified.

According to the SP, the arrested Saiful Islam Tuhin (19) is the son of Noor Alam and a resident of the Sananda area in Ward No. 24 of the city. Tuhin dropped out of education after failing the eleventh grade at Comilla City College. Mofazzel Hossain Fahad (15) is a resident of the Salmanpur area (Member Bari) in the same ward; he is a ninth-grade student at Mainamati Technical School and College. Md. Kamrul Hasan (18) hails from Hatigara village in the southern upazila, while Md. Siam (19) is a resident of Elahipur village in the same upazila.

The Superintendent of Police stated that an investigation is underway to determine if others are involved in the incident. No prior criminal records were found against the detainees. Tuhin, Fahad, and Kamrul have already been formally arrested in connection with the Opratim murder case. A police report will be submitted to the court after verifying the involvement of the other accused, Siam, and expediting the investigation process.