The role of police in connection with the killing of Fulgazi upazila Chairman Ekramul Haque has been brought into question, with records showing that a police team was near the crime scene at the time of the incident, while there has not been any significant headway into solving the crime so far.
Following the death of Ekramul, who was killed by a group of unmasked and masked people in front of witnesses on Tuesday, police have so far detained 30 people but shown only two people arrested – Iqbal Hossain, 22, and Shakhawat, 26. The arrestees reportedly had no political affiliation, while Shakhawat was the brother of Sohel, an alleged mugger who witnesses said was present when the crime was committed.
Police said the two men were shown arrested as a private car and a motorbike were found abandoned in front of their house. “We would ask for a remand to interrogate the two men to get further information,” said Mahbub Morshed, officer-in-charge of Feni model police station.
The role of law enforcers was questioned by Delowar Hossain, a friend of Ekram who was with the upazila chairman when the attack took place. Delowar told reporters that he had seen several police personnel standing near the scene of the crime who did not respond to their repeated shouts for help.
Delowar’s claim was also reflected in statements of local witnesses, who said a police team that was waiting at the hospital intersection area moved to a different direction after hearing the sound of the violence, only to return to the scene of the crime after a while.
According to the register book of the Feni model police station, on the day of incident, newly joined Assistant Sub-Inspector Aminul Islam was leading the “Kilo 1” patrol team, which was responsible for patrolling the Academy Road and its adjacent areas.
The team assigned on the Academy Road usually remains standby at the nearby hospital intersection, from where it can move easily in every direction.
However, on Tuesday, police personnel took over half an hour to reach the spot, rushing in only after the fire service had rushed in and doused Ekram’s vehicle which was set ablaze by the culprits.
When asked about the delay in reaching the scene, Aminul claimed that he was not near the spot at the time of incident and managed to reach the scene only after the district police superintendent had reached there.
Feni model police station OC Morshed also claimed that there was no police personnel nearby during the crime, while all of them rushed to the spot together after being notified.
On the other hand, local sources also claimed that police were trying to eyewash the people and detaining people to make some quick money.
While visiting the police station at 11:30am yesterday, this reporter found a local Awami League leader, Abul Hashem, requesting the OC to release some of the men they had picked up. However, they both became silent after learning the identity of the reporter.
The victim’s elder brother, Rezaul Haque Jasim, also claimed it was nothing but eyewash by the police, as the case could have been easily solved because there were many witnesses to the incident.
Several local residents and witnesses told the Dhaka Tribune that around 30-35 people had gathered in front of Bilashi Cinema Hall on the Academy Road – the scene of the crime – at around 9:30am on the day of the incident. The group was busy talking among each other, while locals reportedly heard one of them as saying loudly: “Why is he still not coming?”
Locals also claimed they had seen local Chhatra League leader Sohel Chowdhury, joint general secretary of the local Awami League unit, Jahidul Islam, and Sohel, the leader of an alleged mugging gang, waiting at the spot prior to the murder. AL-backed Ward Councillor Shiplu, who reportedly had dominance in the area, was also present there, they added.
Seeking anonymity, a witness who was also a local resident, told the Dhaka Tribune that he had asked Jubo League leader Ziaul Haque Mister, who was present at the scene, why so many people were waiting there, to which Ziaul answered that a a procession would be brought out. However, the witness said he had never before seen the other people who accompanied Ziaul.
The claim was also echoed by former Feni MP Joynal Hazari, who said he had also heard that Sohel and Ziaul were present on the spot when the murder was committed.
However, all of the men whose names were mentioned by witnesses have reportedly gone into hiding following the killing of Ekramul.
Asked why the police had not arrested any of the men named by the witnesses, the OC said the investigation had just began, adding that the real mystery will be solved in time.
Asked about the role of police, Feni 2 lawmaker Nizam Uddin Hazari refused to make any comment.
