SHARIFUL ISLAM and SIRAJUL ISLAM RUBEL

In an unverified audio clip, the sound of a gun being cocked is heard, followed by a gunshot and the groans of a man. On the other end of the line, Teknaf municipality councillor Akramul Haque’s wife and two daughters scream, pleading for his life.

For eight years, justice for Akramul has remained trapped in that recording.

Now, as investigators move to submit a long-delayed report to the tribunal in a case once buried under an official “gunfight” narrative, Akramul’s family -- who could not even file a complaint with police or the court -- are hoping for justice.

“Since my husband’s killing, we tried to file a case but could never do so due to intimidation from Rapid Action Battalion,” Akramul’s widow Ayesha Begum told The Daily Star yesterday.

After August 5, 2024, authorities contacted her and asked her to file a complaint with the International Crimes Tribunal over her husband’s killing, said Ayesha, who had disclosed the audio clips -- which she claimed to have recorded on her phone -- at a press conference in Cox’s Bazar five days after the incident.

Ayesha has long alleged that the killing was premeditated, claiming the Rab planted evidence -- including arms and yaba -- to justify it.

The force had denied this at the time, saying Akramul opened fire first and that drugs and arms were recovered, citing his alleged involvement in narcotics.

Rab said Akramul was killed in a gunfight with alleged drug dealers on Teknaf Marine Drive, a claim his family

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