Officers at Shah Ali police station in the capital extorted money from local criminals through their network of informants. In return, they cut slack for their men.
“In Babul Matabbor’s case, informant Delowar Hossain overstepped his boundaries,” Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) Masud Ahmed admits.
Apparently acting under police protection, Delowar burned tea-seller Babul to death at Mirpur earlier this month. The informant regularly collected money from local drug peddler Parul, who had a tussle with Babul and is listed as the main accused in the murder case.
Police sources say informants are usually chosen from among criminals. ADC Masud told the Dhaka Tribune: “They [informants] do not have the authority to take actions … Babul was set on fire before the police patrol team had arrived. The policemen neglected their duties.”
Babul’s family has been claiming that the officer for whom informants Delowar and Aiyub Ali worked for, is the man behind the incident. ADC Masud said the informants worked for Sub-Inspector Mominur Rahman.
Officer-in-Charge AKM Shahin Mondol, SI Shreedham Chandra Hawlader, SI Mominur, SI Niaz Uddin Mollah, ASI Jogendranath and Constable Jasim Uddin were withdrawn following the incident. Four of them, except OC Shahin and SI Shreedham, have been suspended.
A Dhaka Tribune investigation found that Delowar collected extortion money from Parul while Aiyub collected money from Moli and Juli, who sold drugs in Road 5 area near the police station. Another informant collected money from Tania, a drug peddler based near the national zoo.
Shah Ali residents alleged that police only arrested buyers and spared the drug peddlers, whom they considered as their golden geese. Sometimes police intentionally arrested wrong persons to let the peddlers go scot-free.
Gudaraghat’s Kazifuri residents said Delowar was a familiar face there and that he tipped police only about drug buyers. He kept locals in dark about his profession. “Delowar always carried a pair of handcuffs and often posed as a policeman,” a local said, adding that Shah Ali police officers were privy to the information.
Delowar was also involved in last week’s arrest of three men, including one Mokter Hossain who is locally known as an arms dealer. A resident told the Dhaka Tribune that former OC Shahin had let him go after taking a Tk1 lakh bribe. SI Mominur led the drive.
Fear grips victim’s family, witnesses
Babul’s family and witnesses have softened tones, presumably fearing for their safety. No murder case has been filed yet and Babul’s son Raju said they were waiting for police investigation reports.
The family was expected to file a case against policemen who were at the spot but hinted at opting out if police’s internal probe found their men guilty.
Separate police investigations faulted OC Shahin, SI Mominur, SI Niaz, ASI Jogendranath and Constable Jasim. An investigation committee recommended disciplinary action against Mominur, Niaz, Jogendranath and Jasim. It found Niaz guilty of letting one of the attackers go, and the three of not taking any action. The OC was accused of failing to control his subordinates.
“I do not want anything to happen to my sister,” Raju said. His aunt Shamsunnahar said they did not file a case as witnesses retracted their statements. Some are now saying that they went to the spot after police had left while others claim they could not recognise anyone.
The locals, too, were cautious and many refused to speak. Witness Anwar Hussain said a plainclothesman had stopped him from helping Babul. “I am not sure if he was a policeman,” he said. Anwar had previously claimed that police prevented locals from helping Babul.
Witness Jahanara Begum said she had seen Babul on fire and the policemen flee but asserted that she could not recognise anyone.
“You know how it works. The situation forces us to keep mum,” said another witness, who declined to be identified.