A Dhaka court has issued arrest warrants against four police officers for forcing a Bangladesh Chhatra League leader to give confessional statement over the attempt on Humayun Azad’s life.
Dhaka’s Chief Metropolitan Magistrates’ Court judge Mehedi Hasan Talukder gave the order on Wednesday in a case filed by pro-government student organisation’s Abu Abbas Bhuiyan.
The police officers are Ramna police chief in 2004 Mahbubur Rahman, sub-inspectors Rezaul Karim and Naser Ali and sergeant Anwarul Hossain.
Former state minister for home Lutfuzzaman Babar is another accused in the case.
According to case details, police arrested Abbas on Feb 28, 2004 without any arrest warrant from a procession taken out demanding punishment to those who tried to kill Dhaka University professor and writer Azad the previous night.
Some unidentified assailants tried to murder Azad in front of the Bangla Academy while he was returning from the Ekushey Book Fair. He was critically injured in the attack.
Later, the police officers tortured him for statement admitting his involvement in the assassination attempt. He secured bail after 14 days.
Abbas filed a case with Dhaka’s Chief Metropolitan Magistrates’ Court against Babar and the four on Mar 5, 2008, when the caretaker government was in office.
On Jun 1, 2008, Detective Branch of police submitted a probe report stating that Abbas’ allegation Abbas was false.
The case was handed over to Criminal Investigation Department (CID) on Jul 23, 2010, following Abbas’ appeal against the report.
Ramna CID unit inspector Mohammad Ehsanuddin Chowdhury submitted a report to the court on Aug 19 stating Abbas’ allegation to be true.
Abbas told bdnews24.com: “Some of the accused are carrying on duties at different police stations at Dhaka. They arrested me to save the real culprits.”
Jamaat-e-Islami executive committee member Delwar Hossain Sayedee, an accused in Azad murder attempt case, has already been grilled.
Outlawed Jama’atul Mujahedin Bangladesh leader Anwar Alam alias Anwar Hossain Khoka alias Bhagne Shahid was also taken on a four-day remand in early Aug for questioning in the case.
After Nov 3, 2003, when Bangla Daily Ittefaq published Azad’s novel Paksarzameen Sadbad, Sayedee started tempting the mass against Azad at different Waz Mahfil (religious lecture sessions). The then MP even placed a proposal in the parliament to enact a blasphemy law.
Attempt on Azad was made immediately after the speeches.
On Nov 14, 2007, CID inspector Kazi Abdul Malek pressed charges against JMB kingpins Shaykh Abdur Rahman and Ataur Rahman Sunny, who was executed in Mar, 2007 in two Patuakhali judge killing case, other JMB leaders Noor Mohammad Sabu alias Shamim, Minhaj alias Shafiq alias Shaon alias Hamim and Bhagne Shahid in the case.
However, Azad’s brother Manjur Kabir filed a petition for fresh investigations into the incident.
bdnews24
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