One of the eight suspects arrested in connection with the murder of journalist Asaduzzaman Tuhin in Gazipur has confessed to participating in the killing.
Shahjalal, 32, from Antapur village in Homna upazila, Cumilla, admitted his involvement before Gazipur Metropolitan Magistrate Court-3 Judge Omar Haider yesterday. His confession was recorded under Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.
Gazipur Metropolitan Police Inspector Ahsan Ullah Chowdhury confirmed that Shahjalal gave a detailed account of his role in the attack and named others involved.
The seven suspects were produced before the court last Saturday, where a two-day remand was granted for interrogation. Shahjalal voluntarily confessed during the hearing.
According to Shahjalal’s statement, he and others were involved in yaba trafficking and robbery.
On August 7, Shahjalal, along with Mizan, Swadhin, Suman, Arman, Faisal, and Al Amin, armed with machetes and knives, confronted a man named Badsha Mia near Shapla Mansion, intending to extort money.
When journalist Tuhin began recording the incident, they attacked him, fatally injuring him with cleavers and knives.
Following the attack, Mizan took Tuhin’s mobile phone before the group fled after being warned by Golapi, Mizan’s wife, about the approaching police.
The other accused did not confess and were sent to prison without further remand for interrogation.
One suspect, Al Amin, denied involvement and claimed he was framed, alleging that local figures hired them to carry out the attack but did not participate themselves.
Police have noted that one alleged mastermind, known as "Black Shaheen," faces multiple criminal cases and has ties to a former Gazipur mayor.
A total of eight people have been arrested based on CCTV evidence, six by Gazipur police and two by the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB). Separate cases were filed by Tuhin’s elder brother and the brother of Badsha Mia, who was injured in the initial attack.
Asaduzzaman Tuhin, 38, was a staff reporter for the daily Protidiner Kagoj. He was attacked and killed near Masjid Market, Chandna Chowrasta intersection in Gazipur on the evening of August 7.
He lived in Gazipur with his wife and two sons and was originally from Vhatipara village in Fulbaria, Mymensingh.
