Follow-upRashidul Murder in Lalmonirhat
Eight months over, no charge sheet yet
Police are yet to press charges against the accused eight months into filing of a case for murder of Rashidul Islam at Chawratari village in Sadar upazila.
Family members of the victim are now worried whether they would get justice at all. They are also getting threats from different quarters including police and political leaders to withdraw the case, they said.
Abdul Haque, the victim's father, filed a murder case accusing four Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) men including Havilder Mahabub Alam, Lance Nayek Mohammad Ali and soldiers Abdul Jalil and Al-Amin and alleged smuggler Saidul Islam with Lalmonirhat Sadar police station on August 22 last year in connection with Rashidul murder.
According to the case statement, four BGB members of Mogholhat border outpost in collusion with the alleged smuggler picked up Rashidul, 28, from his house on August 18 in 2010.
They tortured him to death on the bank of the Dharla at Mogholhat border and threw his body into the river.
Locals besieged Mogholhat BGB camp at night on August 18 over Rashidul's murder. Police, local political leaders rushed to the spot and assured the agitating people of justice and brought the situation under control.
The following day, a three-member team headed by additional district magistrate was formed to probe the murder. On the same day, the team visited the spot and took statements of 100 witnesses.
“I have been left widowed with our seven-year old son Morshed Islam Manik” Shefali Begum, wife of the victim, told this correspondent adding, “I demand justice”.
Abdul Haque alleged that a section of BGB, police and political leaders were putting pressure to withdraw the case on mutual understanding offering Tk five lakh.
“Money cannot be the compensation for killing of my son. We demand justice," he added.
Rosna Begum, victim's mother, alleged that the investigation officer (IO) of the case asked them to mutually resolve the matter. "Otherwise police will dismiss the case in charge sheet,” he threatened.
“My other son and relatives have been requesting the IO for preparing the charge sheet for the last eight months. But police are trying to end the case mutually”, she added.
When contacted, IO sub-inspector (SI) Mahabub Islam, denied the allegations of Rashidul's mother and other family members.
“It is a very sensitive case, so we are investigating the case carefully,” he said.
For this reason, police are taking time to prepare the charge sheet, the IO added.
Officer-in-charge (OC) of Lalmonirhat Sadar police station Jomir Uddin claimed that police have already completed 90 percent investigation in Rashidul murder case.
They would prepare the charge sheet of the case by this month, the OC added.
Contacted, BGB Mogholhat company commander Nayak Havilder Abu Sayed, however, claimed that Rashidul was a 'smuggler'.
He was taken to the spot for information about smuggling. But he jumped into the river for fear of torture, he added.
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