Bonpara (Natore) Correspondent 

In a shocking development in the murder case of 9-year-old schoolboy Minhaj Hossain Abir, his friend Hazrat Ali (11) has confessed to the crime. Hazrat, son of Riazul Islam, is a fifth-grade student at Mahishbhanga Government Primary School and a resident of Mahishbhanga village under Bonpara Municipality in Baraigram upazila of Natore.

According to OC  Md. Golam Sarwar Hossain of Baraigram Police Station, Hazrat Ali admitted during primary interrogation that he was directly involved in Abir’s murder. He stated that both he and Abir were friends and had gone together to the under-construction Banalata Spice Factory near the Bonpara–Hatikumrul highway in the Mahishbhanga area, riding on Abir’s bicycle. There, they took pictures of the spot using Abir’s Android phone, made TikTok videos, and played mobile games.

During this time, an argument broke out between them, which escalated into pushing, shoving, and a physical altercation. At one point, Abir started heading back home in anger. Hazrat then threw a brick at him from behind, hitting him on the head. Abir collapsed on the ground with a severe head injury. Seeing him unconscious or lifeless, Hazrat covered Abir’s body with nearby corn husks, left his bicycle behind, and returned home with the mobile phone. Police later recovered the phone.

Abir’s mother Akhi Begum and father Milan, who works in Qatar, demanded the immediate arrest and exemplary punishment of all those involved during a human chain held at Bonpara Gate on Saturday. They suspect that more than one person may be involved in their son’s murder. They stated that Abir's face, head, and various parts of his body showed signs of injury, and one of his teeth had been broken from a severe blow. A large pool of blood was also found at the scene, leading them to believe that the murder occurred there, and the body was dragged about 20 feet before being hidden under corn husks. They strongly believe that such an act could not have been carried out by Hazrat alone and that others must have been involved. They also pointed out that Abir's mobile phone was recovered from the home of Hazrat’s uncle, Roushan, who has not been arrested.

It is mentioned that Abir (9), the only child of Akhi Begum and Milan of Mahishbhanga village, was a third-grade student at Bonpara Adib International School. His bloodied body was recovered around 9 pm on Thursday night.