Police have arrested another suspect over the abduction and assault of senior journalist Liakat Ali Badal, Rangpur correspondent of Dhaka Tribune and Bangla Tribune, who was taken to the Rangpur City Corporation office and attacked by a mob after publishing a report.
The arrestee was identified as Rakibul Islam Sagar, son of Mossin Mia of Shalbon Mistripara in Rangpur city. He was picked up from the city’s Radhaballabh area around 1:15am on Wednesday night, said Kotwali police station officer-in-charge Ataur Rahman.
Sagar is listed as the sixth accused in the case. With this, two suspects have so far been arrested.
On Monday night, accused number five, Ratan Mia was arrested. The following night, he gave a confessional statement before the Rangpur Additional Metropolitan Magistrate Rashed Hossain’s court , describing his own role and that of others. The statement has been verified, and necessary steps were being taken, said Sub-inspector Sudipta Shaheen, investigation officer of the case.
Meanwhile, three Rangpur City Corporation officials — Trade Licence Department Head Mizanur Rahman Mizu, Chief Administrative Officer Jahangir Kabir Shanto and Assistant Revenue Officer Tanmoy — have been transferred for their involvement, said RCC Administrator and Divisional Commissioner Shahidul Islam. He added that a probe committee will be formed, and departmental action will follow once the investigation report is received.
Journalists in Rangpur, however, staged a protest at the Metropolitan Police commissioner’s office on Wednesday, demanding the arrest of the prime accused and their instigators, who remain at large. They also announced plans to submit a memorandum.
The incident occurred on September 21, when Badal — also member secretary of the Rangpur Combined Journalists’ Society — was abducted from Kachari Bazar by a youth named Roky, who introduced himself as a “July Rajbondi.” He was taken to the RCC office, beaten, and pressured to apologize to the RCC CEO for publishing a report. Corporation officials and employees then locked the main gate and allegedly incited a mob to beat and harass him further.
Following the incident, Badal filed a case against 14 people, including City Corporation CEO Umme Fatema, Trade Licence Department Head Mizanur Rahman Mizu, and former councilor Liton Parvez.
On September 17, just days before the attack, Badal had published a report in Daily Sangbad titled “Auto-rickshaw licence in the name of July warriors, scheme of Tk5 crore trade in Rangpur.”
