A trader was shot yesterday by police at Dakshinkhan in the capital for allegedly failing to pay extortion money to police.
He was admitted to Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH).
Nipu Enterprise proprietor, Haji Foyez Ali, 52, was allegedly shot by Sub-Inspector (SI) Joynal Abedin in front of the Munshi Market around 8:30am.
Leaving his van about a hundred metres away, SI Joynal grabbed the victim by the collar and shot him in the waist, saying: “You are involved in the politics of BNP,” his family told the Dhaka Tribune.
Freedom fighter Nurul Hasan was allegedly present during the incident.
Talking to the Dhaka Tribune, he said: “We were talking to each other when SI Joynal Abedin came in, grabbed him by the collar and began taking him away.”
“I asked him why he was being taken away. The SI replied that Foyez had been on the Wanted List and when I asked him about it, he refused to explain,” he said.
“The next moment, he took out his gun and shot Foyez in the waist. On hearing the gunshot, locals as well as other policemen waiting in the van rushed over. Then he, along with the other officers, left the scene,” Nurul said.
“Foyez was rushed to Crescent Hospital and then shifted to the DMCH around 2pm,” he added.
The Dhaka Tribune tried to contact Joynal, but could not reach him on the phone.
When asked, Dakshinkhan police station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Shamimur Rashid Talukder said that Foyez was a BNP supporter, who along with others, tried to bring out a procession on road 10 in Uttara’s sector 4 in support of the blockade.
“Police chased the blockade supporters and suddenly Foyez approached us and got locked in scuffle with police officials,” said OC Shamim, adding that at one stage, a bullet was “accidentally” discharged from a gun and hit Foyez in the waist.
Despite the OC’s claim that the shooting was an accident, the victim’s nephew, Md Jewel, told the Dhaka Tribune that the police team led by SI Joynal used to visit his uncle’s business to demand extortion money which his uncle regularly paid.
He said the SI demanded a higher amount after his uncle started construction work on his new building.
As part of the bargaining, the police official might have opened fire, Jewel said.
The victim’s wife, Rehana Foyez, denied that her husband was involved with any political party.
“In the morning, Foyez left the house with a cheque of Tk1 lakh to pay the wages of the construction workers. There is no question of him joining a procession,” Rehana said.
Rahadul Islam Nipu, Foyez’s elder son, said SI Joynal had been milling around their house for the last few days.
“We must file a complaint over the attack on my father,” Rahadul said.
