A team of the Department of Narcotics Control (DNC) led by Sub-Inspector Asadul Haque conducted a raid in Bhitorkuti Bhanga More Tepthi area next to the Kurigram-Nageshwari Road under Nageshwari Upazila on the morning of March 8. At that time, they stopped a CNG auto-rickshaw. After searching the vehicle, they seized 100 bottles of illegal Phensedyl and one Eskuf syrup kept in two bags from three passengers aged between 24 and 31.
Later, the trio were taken to Nageshwari police station. Two of them—Roman Mia, 26, and Morshed Alam, 24—were sued under the Narcotics Control Act 2018, and sent to jail pending a police investigation.
On the other hand, the mastermind, Iman Mehdi Hasan Sourav, 31, started bargaining with SI Asad to get off scot-free. Sourav offered him Tk50,000 and paid the amount via mobile money as they reached a compromise.
Sourav, who hails from Mirzapur of Tangail, insisted that his reputation as an engineer would be spoiled if put in jail in a narcotics case.
After several hours, SI Asad informed the executive magistrate of the raid and returned to the scene. The magistrate, Assistant Commissioner (Land) Ashiq Ahmed, conducted a mobile court and sentenced Sourav to three days in prison for committing a “minor crime”.
Sourav’s two associates are acquaintances and from Sherpur district. The duo, now languishing in Kurigram jail, said Sourav brought them to Kurigram help him transport Indian cosmetics for Tk10,000. But they later discovered that the bags were full of Phensedyl. As they refused to carry the drugs, Sourav assured them of paying more money.
But he did not take care of his associates after the raid. In the case statement, SI Asad detailed the arrest of two individuals while assisting Sourav in his release following a lenient sentence.
He also told the magistrate that the raid had happened just a while before the mobile court, and one person, Sourav, was detained. As per the law, the magistrate must be present during an occurrence to conduct a mobile court.
What the witnesses say
This reporter spoke to the locals who witnessed the detentions, the mobile court, and the two accused at jail. The investigation has revealed gross irregularities by the SI of the DNC and a lack of effective actions to ensure a fair trial in mobile courts.
At the time of the raid, around 9:30am, truck workers Mokhlesur and Jamini Kanto and local residents Ferdous Ali and Shibu were present there. They said three people were in the auto-rickshaw that morning, and the officials recovered Phensedyl from their bags. Then the trio were taken away. In the afternoon, one of them was brought here and sentenced to three days by a mobile court.
Auto-rickshaw driver Shaukat and local cook Mofizul Islam are named as witnesses in the case. They said three people were arrested, but one of them was sentenced in a mobile court, and the other two were sent to prison.
Shaukat said: "Three passengers boarded the autorickshaw from Andhari Jhar area. They were together. Sourav hired this auto-rickshaw. On the way, they were detained for carrying Phensedyl.”
Mofizul Islam, the other witness, said: "They detained three people. I do not know how many bottles were seized. The narcotics officer did not tell me that. I was asked to sign as a witness. I do not know anything more than that.”
This reporter met Roman Mia and Morshed Alam in prison to find out the details of the incident.
According to their description, Sourav brought them to Bhurungamari to transport Indian cosmetics in exchange for Tk10,000. After staying in Bhurungamari for two days, on the morning of March 8, they left for Kurigram town by auto-rickshaw from Andharir Jhar area of the upazila. They objected to seeing Phensedyl in the bags instead of cosmetics. But Sourav convinced them to increase the money. Around 9:30am, the NDC team detained them and took them to Nageshwari police station. Roman Mia said: “Sourav is the ringleader. We are nothing. Sourav managed to get released quickly in exchange for Tk50,000.”
Conflicting statements
SI Asad, however, denied these allegations.
He claimed: “There were three passengers in the auto-rickshaw and two of them had Phensedyl bottles with them. A man in the front seat had half a bottle of Phensedyl in his hand. In the interrogation, they said that they were not associates. For this, one person has been sentenced through the mobile court.”
In response to the question of whether there is a provision to conduct a mobile court several hours after detention, SI Asad said: "This information is not correct. The magistrate was present during the raid in the morning.”
He also denied having taken money from Sourav. “This is a wrong statement; I do not know with whom the money transaction was made,” he said.
AC (Land) Ashiq Ahmed confirmed that he was not present during the raid and that the mobile court took place in the afternoon.
“I was not informed about the detentions in the morning. I was told that they had been detained some time ago,” he said. “'One person was sentenced in the mobile court around noon that day. The other two were booked in a regular case as they were in possession of large quantities of drugs.”
Asked whether it is legal to conduct a mobile court even if the crime has not been committed before the magistrate, Ashiq Ahmed said: "Even though I was not present at the time of arrest, the accused (Sourav) confessed his guilt in front of the witnesses. That is why he has been sentenced.”
Contacted, DNC Assistant Director of the district Abu Jafar said: "I did not know about this incident. Now I will look into it. If there is any irregularity in the operation, I will take strict action against those responsible.”