Maya defends his son-in-law

Minister Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya, whose son-in-law led RAB-11 during the sensational seven murders in Narayanganj, has issued a statement claiming none of his family has had any role in the crime, reports bdnews24.com.

The disaster management minister, using his ministerial letter head, said Friday he was deeply saddened by media reports linking his family to the murders which "defamed me and members of my family".

"But I would like to state categorically that none of my family has ever been linked or involved in any business dealings with any of the accused in the murder case," Maya said in the statement, issued two days after his son-in-law was sacked by the army.

The minister said he had made no comment until now so that the investigations into the murders were not "influenced".

His statement, however, came as several committees formed by police, Rapid Action Battalion and the government are investigating the crime.

Another report adds: No leniency will be shown even if the person is from the ruling party in the investigation of the Narayanganj seven murders, Awami League leader Suranjit Sengupta has said.

"The prime minister has taken a strong position in the Narayanganj incident," he said, speaking at a discussion in the city on Friday.

"Whoever is the criminal, the government and Awami League will not show any leniency towards them. They will be brought to justice," the senior leader said.