Police have filed final reports in two cases of possession of illegal arms and liquor, praying to the court to exempt Awami League MP Haji Md Selim’s son Erfan Selim from the charges.
Police said that the cases, filed by the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), had factual errors. However, police submitted charge sheets against his bodyguard Zahidul Mollah in two other cases as they found the allegations to be true.
Awami League MP Haji Md Selim’s son Erfan Selim, the suspended councillor of Ward 30 under Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC), was jailed for a year after illegal guns, ammunition, liquor, walkie-talkies and handcuffs were found during a raid conducted by RAB at the MP's Old Dhaka residence on October 26.
An unlicensed firearm, five to six litres of foreign liquor and 10 cans of foreign beer had been seized from Erfan, while a firearm and 406 yaba pills were seized from Zahid.
Police said that after investigation they did not find concrete evidence that the firearm and liquor belonged to Erfan. The room from which those items were recovered were frequented by many people, claimed police.
Md Kudrat-E-Khuda, additional deputy commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), said the arms and liquor were seized from his assistant. “Those will be placed before the court during the trial proceedings,” Bangla Tribune quoted the police official as saying.
A mobile court led by RAB’s Executive Magistrate Sarwoer Alam had sentenced the two to a year’s imprisonment for possession of alcohol and firearms.
RAB conducted the raid at Haji Selim’s residence in Lalbagh after Lieutenant Wasif Ahmad, an officer of Bangladesh Navy, filed an assault case against Erfan.
In addition to the alcohol and firearms, RAB claimed to have discovered a “torture cell” used by Erfan.
About 40 walkie-talkies were seized from the house, including a station.
During primary interrogation, the detainees said they were used for business. RAB officials, however, said that they had come to know from multiple sources that they were used for extortion.
Three VHF (very high frequency) radio sets were also seized during the raid.
Both of them were awarded a year’s rigorous imprisonment — six months for the walkie-talkies and six months for the alcohol.
On October 25 last year, a video of Lieutenant Wasif Ahmad screaming for justice before the public went viral on social media after he was assaulted by Erfan, his bodyguard, driver and a few of their accomplices.
The attack took place in the Kalabagan bus stop area at around 7:45pm, when the military officer protested after his motorcycle was hit by Erfan’s car, which had a parliament sticker on it.
Later, a case was filed with Dhanmondi police station accusing four people – Erfan Selim, AB Siddique Dipu, Zahidul Mollah and driver Mizanur Rahman – over the incident.
