A Bangladesh Bank official was allegedly tortured and threatened with death by a police SI for several hours yesterday after refusing to pay a ransom of Tk5 lakh.
Golam Rabbani, the banker, said a sub-inspector named Masud Sikder from Mohammadpur police station tortured him for five hours inside a police van in the capital’s Tajmahal Road.
Rabbani said he was returning to his Kalyanpur home after visiting a relative when he stopped at an ATM booth in Mohammadpur’s Tajmahal Road to withdraw some money around 11pm on Saturday. After exiting the booth, three or four young men dragged him to a police van waiting nearby.
There, SI Masud took away his wallet and other documents before demanding that he pay a further Tk5 lakh to the SI, Rabbani claimed. After the banker refused, the policeman allegedly threatened to kill him by crossfire near the Beribadh area.
Rabbani said the lawman tortured him physically and mentally throughout the night even after finding about his identity.
He filed a complaint with the Mohammadpur police station later in the morning.
Sub-Inspector Masud admitted to Mohammadpur OC Jamal Uddin Mir that he had detained Rabbani, but denied claims of torture. The OC spoke in the SI’s support in front of reporters.
Hafiz Al Faruq, assistant commissioner of DMP’s Tejgaon Division, told the Dhaka Tribune that Rabbani has provided a written statement regarding the incident. The matter was being investigated after hearing both sides, Hafiz said.
