Probe report submission date extended again

Time for submission of a further investigation report on the abduction of indigenous community leader and activist Kalpana Chakma around 19 years ago has once again been extended, with the date rescheduled to June 16.

The Rangamati district chief judicial magistrate's court fixed the date yesterday, when the submission was due.

Kalpana, the then organising secretary of the Hill Women's Federation, was kidnapped allegedly by some military personnel and law enforcers from her house in New Lalyaghona of Baghaichhari, Rangamati on June 12, 1996.

Two police investigation reports failed to satisfactorily explain the abduction and Kalpana's whereabouts.

The court on January 2013 ordered the Rangamati superintendent of police (SP) to re-investigate the matter. The report submission date has since been rescheduled multiple times.

"The Rangamati superintendent of police was not present in court," said Jewel Dewan, a lawyer appointed by Kalpana's family.

"Had we not filed a petition to learn what has been done since the last police super Amena Begum submitted a progress report on July 20, 2014, the case would not have moved in court," he said.

The present SP, Sayeed Tarikul Hassan, told The Daily Star over phone that the case was handed over to him this month and that he had taken over in late January.

"The last SP could not finish the final report. Now I have to take into consideration all the aspects of the case including testimonies of witnesses which have already been taken, the previous investigation reports and court directions," he said.

Meanwhile, two women's organisations, Hill Women's Federation and Parbatya Chattagram Mohila Samity, formed a human chain in front of the district commissioner's office protesting former SP Amena's progress report.

Amena, in the report, said since Kalpana was the main witness, the final report could not be submitted until she was found or a final decision was taken about her whereabouts.

The organisations alleged that Amena was trying to save Lieutenant Md Ferdous Kaiser Khan and Village Defence Party men Nurul Haq and Saleh Ahmed by not recording accounts of two witnesses, Kalpana's brothers Kalindi Kumar and Lalbihari Chakma.