Police have arrested seven people suspected to be involved in the killing of Industrial Police Constable Mukul Hossain in the capital’s Ashulia area yesterday.
Ashulia police station OC Mohsin Kadir confirmed the arrests to the Dhaka Tribune yesterday and said police arrested the suspects in several raids conducted in the area.
A case was filed against unidentified attackers who also critically injured another constable, Nur-e-Alam, police sources said.
In addition, a three-member committee was formed by the police authorities to investigate the incident.
The attack took place at a police check post at Baraipara in Ashulia on Tuesday morning. Three unidentified motorcycle riders attacked Mukul and Nur with machetes when the constables flagged them down for checking, and then opened fire at them to get away.
Mukul died on the spot and Nur was critically injured in his hand and chest. He is currently undergoing treatment at Savar’s Enam Medical College Hospital.
Sub-Inspector Habib and two other policemen, who were also stationed at the check post, fled the scene when they saw their colleagues getting hacked at, instead of coming to their defence.
Habib was closed for negligence of duty and attached to Rajarbagh Police Lines, Ashulia OC said.
Security tightened in Ashulia
Security was heightened in and around Ashulia yesterday as police conducted raids throughout the day in the area, looking for the murderers.
Additional police members have been deployed at the existing check posts and more check posts have been set up at important places such as Savar Cantonment, Abdullahpur and Baipail to thoroughly search any suspicious vehicles, said Nazmul Hasan, assistant superintendent of police at Ashulia circle.
He further said police had been given special directives to handle any unwanted situation, should they arise.
The instructions came because, while the miscreants attacked the constables with machetes and then fired their guns to get away, the police members did not use their own weapons to protect themselves even though all five of them had guns, sources said.
“The attack was sudden and premeditated. The constables were still getting prepared for duty and could not respond on time. The killers attacked and fled in two minutes,” Ashulia OC Mohsin explained.
Earlier on Sunday, after the attack, the Police Headquarters instructed policemen stationed at security check posts to open fire in self-defence if necessary.
