Police in Nilpharami have been allegedly releasing the criminals, who attacked Awami League Lawmaker Asaduzzaman Noor’s motorcade, in exchange of hefty bribes.
There are also allegations that a section of local Awami League leaders and activists has been blackmailing and extorting money from the families of those accused in the case filed in connection with the attack.
On December 14, activists of Jamaat-e-Islami, a key ally of main opposition BNP, and its student front Chhatra Shibir, attacked Noor’s motorcade in the Ramganj Bazaar area of the district. They convinced and misguided some local people from the Ramganj village, using the loudspeaker from a local mosque, to join them in the attack. Five of Noor’s associates were killed in the clash that ensued the attack.
Soon after the incident, Inspector Babul Akhter of Nilphamari police filed a case in this connection against 14 named and 1,500 unnamed criminals. Later, the responsibility of investigation was handed over to Mostafizur Rahman, sub-inspector of the local police station.
However, despite continuously conducting drives in the area for the last 16 days, police have managed to arrest only one of the named accused and 35 others, whose names are not mentioned in the case statement.
SI Mostafizur told the Dhaka Tribune that the 36 arrested so far had been identified from the videos of the incident recorded by some local residents using their mobile phones. “Most of the criminals, especially those named as accused, went into hiding after the incident. But we are trying our level best to round them up.”
Although police have not been able to trace the named accused, local villagers said several of them had been hiding in the nearby Jogenshiri area of the district.
Seeking anonymity, a resident of Ramganj said the accused come to the village at night after police move from the place finishing their regular raid. In fact, they said, police had only arrested those who had failed to pay them the bribe.
The Dhaka Tribune has learnt that on December 28, police arrested Chanchal, Shumon and Shamim from the Lakkhichhap area and released them hours later after allegedly taking Tk18,000 bribe from each.
Similar cases of bribery have been reported from the Polashbari area where police allegedly took Tk9,000 each from BNP activists Kallol and Majedul and released them.
One Abu Sayed was arrested in connection with the attack. His father Abdul Majid alleged that his son had been taken to custody because he had failed to entertain the Tk50,000 bribe that police demanded.
Not only have the police, local activists of Chhatra League, ruling Awami League’s student front, also been reportedly doing the same.
Local residents, seeking anonymity, said Chhatra League leader Abul Kashem Shah of Polashbari union and his associates had been involved in the extortion. They reportedly find out the BNP supporters and demand extortion and threaten to call the police if their demands are not met.
Local villagers also said police had in fact arrested quite a few after being informed by these Chhatra League men.
Abul Kashem Shah refuted the allegation saying: “Helping the police maintain law and order is our responsibility. We are only doing that and nothing else. We called the police after tracing the criminals, who attacked Mr Noor’s motorcade and killed five people.”
Snubbing out the allegations of irregularity, Nilphamari police chief (SP) Mohammad Zubayedur Rahman told the Dhaka Tribune that police have made a number of arrest in the area after being tipped off by local residents.