7 policemen withdrawn
The authorities yesterday withdrew seven cops in connection with the deaths of three people in Friday's police firing during a protest against the torture of a mother and her son.
Although police on Friday dismissed that the three died in their shooting, autopsy reports yesterday confirmed that all the three succumbed to bullet injuries.
"All of them died from bullet wounds," said Ashraful Islam, a resident medical officer of Tangail Medical College Hospital where the autopsies were done.
Of those withdrawn, three are sub-inspectors and four constables, said Deputy Inspector General (Dhaka Range) of Police SM Mahfuzul Haque Nuruzzaman.
Asked why only junior-level officers were closed, he said, "We have withdrawn them to defuse the tension prevailing in the area.”
Mahfuzul added the Election Commission already announced the schedule for the by-polls in Tangail-4 constituency. And under the law, police officials like officers-in-charge cannot be withdrawn without informing the EC after the polls announcement.
Family members of the victims demanded exemplary punishment to the police members who shot their loved ones and the officials who ordered the shooting.
Meanwhile, authorities yesterday formed two committees to investigate the police action that also left more than 30 others injured, six of them bullet-hit.
Additional DIG (discipline) Alamgir Alam will head the three-member committee formed by the Police Headquarters. The committee has been asked to submit its report in three workdays.
"The committee will look into who played what role during the incident, and necessary actions will be taken in line with the findings,” said Mahfuzul.
Separately, an additional district magistrate will lead the committee formed by the Tangail district administration.
THE TORTURE
On Friday afternoon, police opened fire during a clash with locals who were protesting the torture of a woman and her son by Rafiqul Islam Roma of Saturia village in Kalihati.
Locals said Roma had been harbouring a grudge against a teen boy of Atharodana village of the same upazila for “having an affair” with his wife.
On Tuesday, he called the boy and his mother to his house and beat them up when they came. The woman was also allegedly sexually harassed.
On information from villagers, police however rescued the boy and his mother and arrested Roma.
Protesting the torture, hundreds of people from Atharodana, Hamidpur and several other villages took to the streets around 4:30pm on Friday.
They also tried to lay siege to Kalihati Police Station later in the afternoon.
As they reached College Gate area, police intercepted them and following an altercation, baton-charged and fired teargas shells.
Agitating locals responded by throwing brickbats and blocked Tangail-Mymensingh road at different points for four hours till 8:00pm.
Some demonstrators also tried to snatch the firearms from police when cops fired 60-65 bullets, witnesses said.
'EXCESSIVE FORCE'
Rights body Ain o Salish Kendra said police used excessive force on the demonstrators, and demanded legal actions against those responsible.
"Police are meant to protect people. Then how come they killed my son?" said Amena Begum, mother of victim Shamim Miah, 30, of Ghatail upazila.
Shamim, father of two minor sons, had been preparing to go to Saudi Arabia for work. He had submitted papers and money for the trip.
Shyamal Chandra Das, a barber, was just 20.
"My son was hit in the head when he was crossing the road to get some water,” said his father Robi Chandra Das.
Shyamal died on the way to Dhaka Medical College Hospital.
"He did nothing wrong to the cops, but they shot him. I want justice," said his mother Bharoti Rani.
Asiya Khatun, the widow of victim Faruk Mia, said police shot her husband when he had gone to Kalihati Bus Stand to buy some rice.
The mother of two minor children said, "How will I raise my kids? What was his fault? Why did the cops shoot him?”
Meanwhile, police yesterday released the seven people who were detained during Friday's clash.
They also filed two cases against several hundred unnamed villagers on charges of assaulting cops and obstructing them from doing their duties.
Tangail deputy commissioner announced a compensation of Tk 50,000 each for the families of the three dead and free treatments for the injured.
ASK CONCERNED
In a statement, ASK said people had a right to hold protests, but resorting to violence was unacceptable.
On the other hand, law enforcers should follow some specific standards while discharging their duties, it said, adding that law enforcers should respond in a balanced way.
The rights body said law enforcers must follow the international standard and be utmost careful, especially when using deadly weapons.
"Ain o Salish Kendra demand an independent and impartial investigation into the incident," it said.
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