Leaders of the ruling Awami League and its associate bodies as well as family members of Arju Mia yesterday demanded punishment of the RAB personnel who had killed the Hazaribagh unit Chhatra League president early Tuesday.
They also alleged that the elite force members had taken bribes to release Arju, but killed him in a pre-planned manner.
Arju was the key accused in a case filed over the death of 17-year-old Raja Mia.
“The elite force members picked him up from Hazaribagh Park area around 5pm on Monday. But they denied having arrested Arju when enquired,” Sadek Hamid Saju, Hazaribagh unit Awami League general secretary, said at a press conference at Dhaka Reporters’ Unity auditorium in the afternoon.
Leaders of the Hazaribagh unit Awami League, Jubo League and Chhatra League were also present at that time.
Claiming that RAB members were bribed, Saju said that such “crossfire” incidents had tarnished the image of the police’s elite force as well as the government.
However, the home minister and the Rapid Action Battalion have claimed that Arju died in a gunfight. “A RAB team arrested Arju on Monday night. The gunfight occurred when the team headed towards Baroikhal area to arrest his associates.
“Some miscreants attacked the RAB patrol team to snatch Arju around 3:30am. Arju was hit by bullets as he tried to flee,” Maj Maksud said adding that two pistols and bullets were recovered from the spot.
At the press conference, Arju’s brother Masud Mia claimed that Raja had not died due to torture by Arju. “He might have slapped Raja for stealing his mobile phones and laptop. But he was killed in mob beating.
“The officers picked up my brother without any reason and killed him in a planned way. Later they staged an encounter drama,” Masud alleged.
He said that Arju could have been brought to trial if he had tortured Raja to death.
Masud Rana on Tuesday threatened Raja’s family members with dire consequences at Dhaka Medical College morgue, saying that his brother could not be killed “centring such a minor issue. Someone must have misled the elite force to achieve their political gains.”
Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan reiterated that Arju had been killed in a gunfight, not crossfire. Replying to a question, he said that the law enforcers would take stern action against criminals irrespective of their political affiliations.
