On November 28, 1998, 19-year-old Shafayat Raihan Anik was stabbed to death at South Nalapara in Chittagong allegedly by another teenager Mohiuddin, the son of a constable of Department of Narcotics Control, and his accomplices.

The police could never arrest the accused despite receiving instructions from two home ministers.

Mohiuddin reportedly fled the country for Dubai sometime during the last couple of years.

"I had supplied photos of the murderer and other relevant documents to the airport authorities several times so that they can apprehend Mohiuddin if he tried to leave the country. But all my efforts have gone in vain," said Anik's father Syed Nazimuddin.

Anik was a second year student of Chittagong Commerce College when he was murdered. The reason behind his killing is still shrouded in mystery as only the culprits can shed light on it, said Nazimuddin.

"It could have been due to a clash of egos. Anik was sincere and honest and would protest anything unethical. That might have landed him in trouble with Mohiuddin," felt Nazimuddin.

"The incident happened when Anik was playing with his friends in a field in front of his Nalapara residence. At some point, Mohiuddin went there and asked Anik to come with him," said Nazimuddin quoting eyewitnesses.

Anik hesitated at first but then went along. Mohiuddin took Anik to an alley near a small boundary wall of a house to talk. No one knows what they conversed about but some of the boys, who were playing with Anik, thought that the two were arguing. They were peeping over the wall to find out what was going on when Mohiuddin suddenly started stabbing Anik in his throat.

Mohiuddin fled the scene leaving a critically injured Anik. He was taken to the Chittagong Medical College Hospital (CMCH) where the doctors declared him dead.

The victim's uncle, Jashimuddin later filed a case with Double Mooring police station naming Mohiuddin as the main accused. Later, there was a supplementary first information report (FIR) accusing two others Mohammad Sujan and Kamal Das for their alleged involvement in the killing.

The case was transferred to the Detective Branch (DB) of Chittagong police on December 22, 1998. But the DB or the local police station failed to arrest the alleged killers of Anik. Police later dropped the charges against Mohammad Sujan and Kamal Das.

With the police unable to make any headway in the case, Anik's parents went to the then Home Minister Rafiqul Islam and sought his help.

The minister referred the case to the Inspector General of Police (IGP) instructing him to conduct a proper investigation and asked him to take immediate action against the accused on December 24, 1998.

Nothing happened even after the minister's intervention. Mohammad Nasim, who became Home Minister after Islam, was also approached and he told the then police Commissioner of Chittagong to take immediate action on June 14, 1999.

Frustratingly enough, again no progress was made and the killer remained in hiding.

The family members also appealed for the case to be transferred to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) but that call went unheeded.

Anik's murder case is now pending with the Third Additional District Session Judge's Court, Chittagong. The court has so far recorded statements of seven prosecution witnesses.

The grieving family meanwhile is only seeking justice.

"I went to many government high ups as I had access to them. But what happens to the common people who are also suffering but do not have that kind of influence," asked Nazimuddin, a senior banker at Bank Asia.

"I know very well, that my son will never come back but all I want is the criminal to be punished," said Nazimuddin.