Ayesha Begum, widow of former Teknaf councillor Akramul Haque, says she will not step back from her demand for justice, eight years after her husband was killed.
The incident drew nationwide outrage in 2018 after audio recordings released by Ayesha appeared to capture events surrounding Akramul’s death. The clips, which quickly went viral, offered what many viewed as a rare glimpse into the reality behind extrajudicial killings.
At a press conference at Cox’s Bazar Press Club on May 31, 2018, four days after the incident, Ayesha alleged that her husband had been murdered in cold blood and handed journalists four audio clips.
In one recording, a woman can be heard screaming over the sound of gunfire. Ayesha said the voice was hers and that she was speaking to her husband on the phone when he was shot.
Another clip captured a conversation between Akramul and his daughter.
“I am going to Hnila,” Akramul says.
When asked why, he replies, “For emergency work.”
Moments later, his daughter asks: “Father, why are you crying?” ("Abbu tumi kanna kortecho je?")
The recording ends there. The question struck a chord across the country and remains one of the most haunting elements of the case.
Speaking recently, Ayesha described the past eight years as the most difficult period of her life. “There is the grief of losing my husband, and on top of that, two young daughters to raise,” she said. “Only one hope has kept me going -- that one day my husband’s killing will be brought to justice.”
Due to security concerns, she said, she left Teknaf. Financial hardship has forced her to rely on loans to support her family.
“The hardest part has been raising my two daughters,” she said. “They still ask for their father. They cry talking about him.”
Regarding the arrest of former lawmaker Abdur Rahman Bodi in connection with the case, Ayesha said it could be considered the beginning of the justice process but not its conclusion.
“My struggle will continue until those truly responsible are punished,” she said, adding that some suspects were reportedly abroad and should be brought back to face trial.
Ayesha also expressed hope that Prime Minister Tarique Rahman would ensure a fair and impartial trial.
Akramul, a three-time councillor and former president of the Teknaf unit of Jubo League, was killed in an alleged gunfight with Rapid Action Battalion members on Teknaf Marine Drive Road on May 26, 2018, during an anti-narcotics operation.
Following the political changes of August 5, 2024, Ayesha said authorities asked her to file a complaint with the International Crimes Tribunal.
After assuming office in February this year, ICT Chief Prosecutor Aminul Islam ordered a fresh review and directed investigators to submit a new report over the case.
On April 23 he said that the Akramul case was among several major cases nearing formal charges.
Investigators have identified 10 suspects, including ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina, former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, former Rab chief Benazir Ahmed and former lawmaker Bodi, according to an official familiar with the investigation.
On July 20, 2025, the International Crimes Tribunal-1 sent Bodi to jail after formally arresting him in connection with the killing.
A senior official involved in the investigation alleged that Akramul was killed in a staged crossfire to suppress dissent, claiming he had become a target after speaking out against Bodi and drug trafficking in the area.
