A case was filed yesterday against four people, including three RAB officials, on charges of abducting and killing Chhatra League’s Hazaribagh unit president Arju Mia.
The four are RAB 2 Commanding Officer Colonel Masud Rana, Deputy Assistant Director Shahidur Rahman, Inspector Wahid and RAB informant Ratan. Several unnamed persons were also accused in the case.
Arju was the prime accused in a case filed over the brutal beating of 17-year-old Raja on theft allegations in Hazaribagh, who succumbed to his injuries on August 17.
The Chhatra League leader died on August 18 in what RAB said was a gun battle.
Arju’s brother Masud Rana filed the case with Dhaka’s Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court, mentioning five people as witnesses.
After the case was filed, Metropolitan Magistrate Shahriar Mahmud Adnan said an order leader Arju killing
on whether the court would take cognisance of the charges against the RAB members would be given on August 25.
In the case statement, Masud claimed that he had to file the case with the court as Hazaribagh police refused to take the complaint.
But Hazaribagh police station Officer-in-Charge Alimuzzaman Ali said no one came to police to file any case.
The plaintiff described Arju as an innocent and brilliant student leader in the case statement.
He mentioned that Arju was kidnapped by the accused RAB officials the day Raja died as part of a plan to kill the young student leader.
Arju’s mother Joytunnesa earlier told the Dhaka Tribune that Arju and his friends beat up Raja after suspecting the boy of stealing mobile phone and laptop.
She said Raja’s death was caused by Arju’s friends who along with Arju beat the minor boy up.
RAB arrested Arju after a complaint was lodged by Raja’s sister Reshma Akhter following the death of the minor boy while the shootout took place when the RAB team headed to Baroikhal area to arrest Arju’s associates.
“Some miscreants attacked the RAB team to snatch Arju around 3:30am, and Arju sustained bullet injuries while trying to escape,” RAB Assistant Director Major Maksud said.
“If someone thinks that Arju’s death was a premeditated murder, he can file a case. But RAB officials know what happened on that night and they are not afraid of any lawsuit.”
Arju’s death caused anger among local Awami League, Jubo League and Chhatra League leaders.
On August 19, Awami League’s Hazaribagh unit leaders and Arju’s family claimed at a press conference that there was no shootout and RAB made up the story.
Hazaribagh unit General Secretary Sadeque Hamid Saju told the conference that Hazaribagh is a BNP stronghold and a quarter paid a large sum of money to have Arju killed as part of steps to hinder the area’s development since last elections.
He claimed that Raja was killed in a mob beating.
Local lawmaker Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh also termed Arju’s death a killing.
After Arju’s death, Raja’s family said they were living in fear of attack by Arju’s family.
