‘Action against those trying to exempt accused from cases’
Legal action will be taken against the officer involved in trying to exempt the accused from the chargesheet in the murder case of Sabuj and Shajahan, who were killed in the New Market area during the July-August student uprising, Home Affairs Adviser Lt. Gen. (retd.) Jahangir Alam Chowdhury said.
He said this in response to a question from reporters after visiting the Kakrail St. Mary's Cathedral Church, the main place of worship for Christians, in the capital on Wednesday (December 25) evening.
'A police investigation officer prepared a final report acquitting former Law Minister Anisul Haque and Salman F. Rahman, former private industry and investment adviser to ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, in two murder cases during the July-August student uprising.' A national daily published such news. In response to reporters' questions, the Home Affairs Adviser said that the person who did this will be brought under the law though he is on leave now. But we will not be able to spend the leave for long, we will take action against him.
He said, such acts will not be tolerated at any time. And there is no rule to submit charge sheets like this. The investigating officer did not follow that rule.
Earlier, a national daily reported that a police investigation officer had prepared a final report by acquitting former Law Minister Anisul Haque and Salman F Rahman, former private industry and investment advisor to ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, in two murder cases during the July-August student uprising. An attempt was made to acquit former Director General of the National Telecommunication Monitoring Center (NTMC) Major General (retd.) Ziaul Ahsan. However, the matter was caught before it went to court. Another investigation is being carried out.
The report said that documents and police sources said that the investigation officer tried to submit the final report to the court by hiding the identity of his DB and introducing himself as a police station officer. In this case, he did not take permission from higher officials as per the rules. After the matter came to light, he went on leave citing illness.
The investigation officer tried to submit a final report to the court without informing the DB authorities. He has been suspended.
During the anti-discrimination student movement on July 16, Sabuj was beaten up and Shajahan was shot dead in the New Market area of Dhaka. The day after the incident, a case was filed at the New Market Police Station. Sabuj's cousin Md. Nur Nabi and Shajahan's mother Ayesha Begum became the plaintiffs in the case. After the Awami League government fell in a student uprising on August 5, Anisul and Salman were arrested on August 13 and shown arrested in these two murder cases. Major General Zia, who was discharged from the army, was arrested on August 16.