PBI cracks Ashulia skeleton mystery; 3 arrested over auto-rickshaw snatching murder

The Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) has unravelled the mystery surrounding the recovery of skeletal remains in Ashulia of Savar, confirming that a 15-year-old auto-rickshaw driver was brutally murdered to snatch his vehicle.

Three people have been arrested in connection with the killing. The arrested men are Md Roni Mia (24), Md Ershad Ali (34) and Md Abul Kalam (52).

PBI officials said the primary motive behind the murder was to seize the auto-rickshaw to meet urgent cash needs.

The development was disclosed at a press briefing held on Monday at the PBI Dhaka District office, where PBI Dhaka District Superintendent of Police M N Morshed said that skeletal remains were recovered on December 1 last year from bushes beside the 60-feet road in Ashulia Model Town, in the Amin Mohammad Housing area.

The skull, 38 fragments of human bones and clothing were later identified by family members as belonging to missing teenager Milon Hossain, nearly two months after his disappearance.

Milon went missing on 29 September last year after leaving his garage with an auto-rickshaw. His mother, Mosammat Josna Begum, filed a general diary the following day and later lodged a case of abduction against unknown persons.

Following a court order on 1 January this year, the PBI Dhaka District took over the investigation, appointing Inspector Md Jamal Uddin as the investigating officer.

Based on intelligence inputs, information technology analysis and confessional statements, Roni Mia was first arrested in the early hours of 16 January from the Akrain Bazar area of Savar, PBI officials said.

Information obtained from him led to the arrest of Ershad Ali from Kaliakoir in Gazipur and Abul Kalam from the Daria­pur area. The stolen auto-rickshaw was also recovered from Abul Kalam’s garage.

According to investigators, the murder was premeditated. On the night of 29 September, Md Suman (30)—an accused who remains at large—hired Milon’s auto-rickshaw and took him to Akrain Bazar. Roni later joined them and the trio travelled to a bushy area in Ashulia, where Milon was strangled to death after they consumed marijuana.

The body was dumped in the bushes, and the auto-rickshaw was subsequently sold in stages.

Roni confessed to direct involvement in the murder, while Ershad Ali and Abul Kalam admitted their roles in buying and selling the stolen vehicle.

The accused were produced before a court on 17 January, where they gave confessional statements under Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.

Asked about the arrest of Suman, PBI officials told Daily Sun that the investigation is ongoing and that an update will be provided soon.