The Dhaka Metropolitan Police on Friday closed a sub-inspector of the Tejgaon police over allegations of attempting to arrest a Bangladesh Nationalist Party leader who remains missing for over 12 years after reportedly becoming a victim of enforced disappearance in 2013.
Sub-inspector Md Akram Hossain has been closed over allegations of going with his team to the residence of BNP leader Shajedul Islam Sumon who his family alleged was abducted by Rapid Action Battalion personnel and remains missing ever since.
Sumon鈥檚 residence where SI Akram and his team went on Thursday with arrest warrants also houses the office of Maayer Daak, an organisation campaigning for justice for victims of enforced disappearance allegedly perpetrated by different state agencies during the Awami League regime since 2009.
A DMP press release, signed by its deputy commissioner for media and public relations Muhammad Talebur Rahman, explained that all the police members who went to the house at Shaheen Bagh were new in Dhaka city and were not informed that it was Shajedul Islam Sumon鈥檚 house.聽
鈥楾he sub-inspector has already been closed,鈥� the statement said, adding that that DMP expressed deep sorrows over the unexpected incident.
According to the statement, the DMP was committed to ensure security to all victims who endured tortures and repression during the ousted fascist government.
Sumon鈥檚 sister, Sanjida Islam Tulee, co-founder of Maayer Daak, said that Sumon was abducted allegedly by the Rapid Action Battalion on December 4, 2013.
Regarding Thursday鈥檚 incident, she said that a four-member team from the Tejgaon police arrived at their family residence at about 7:15pm.
She stated the team came reportedly ordered by the DMP鈥檚 Tejgaon Division deputy commissioner and Tejgaon police officer-in-charge.
鈥楾he police stayed for over 40 minutes,鈥� Tulee said.
鈥楾his kind of harassment is unacceptable, especially in the post-uprising Bangladesh. It鈥檚 a continuation of what we endured during the 13 years of the Sheikh Hasina regime,鈥� she stated.
Tejgaon police officer-in-charge Md Mobarak Hossain said that the visit was part of a routine check on outstanding arrest warrants.
鈥楾he officers involved are newly posted and did not fully understand the circumstances,鈥� he said.
He added that he personally visited the house afterwards and apologised to the family.
Sumon reportedly faces three arrest warrants鈥攖wo from 2013 and one from 2014.
Sumon鈥檚 family alleged that RAB personnel abducted him and seven others from Dhaka鈥檚 Bashundhara residential area.
鈥楾heir whereabouts have remained unknown ever since,鈥� Tulee said.
Though the previous Awami League regime launched internal investigations into the cases, no conclusive findings were released.
