Tortured journo Masum denied filing case

Home Minister Sahara Khatun visits injured journalist FM Masum at a hospital at Moghbazar in the city yesterday. On her right is State Minister for Home Affairs Shamsul Haque Tuku. Photo: focus bangla.comStaff Correspondent

Despite repeated attempts since Saturday, the New Age journalist FM Masum could not file a case against the Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) personnel who picked him up and tortured three days ago.

Home Minister Sahara Khatun yesterday regretted the incident while Flight Lt Anisur Rahman who is allegedly responsible for torturing the reporter was withdrawn from Rab-10.

Masum, a staff correspondent of the daily, alleged that Jatrabari police received a copy of his complaint on Saturday evening but did not record it as a case. He is now undergoing treatment at Dhaka Community Hospital.

“A police team from Jatrabari Police Station came to the hospital on Saturday midnight and took my statement but they are yet to record the case,” Masum told The Daily Star last night.

He informed the matter to Home Minister Sahara Khatun and State Minister for Home Affairs Shamsul Haq Tuku when the ministers visited him (Masum) at the hospital at about 7:00pm.

Sahara said she would look into the matter. She also assured Masum of punishing the Rab members responsible for torturing him.

Duty officer of the police station Abdul Khaleq told The Daily Star at about 8:00pm that they are yet to record any case in this connection.

Earlier, while talking to reporters at the home ministry yesterday afternoon, Sahara faced a volley of questions on why police did not record the case against the Rab men who allegedly tortured the reporter.

She however regretted the reported atrocities on the reporter. "It is very sad if the law enforcers did anything unlawfully. We feel sorry for the incident," she said while reporters asked her about the action against the Rab members.

“Nobody will be spared of his or her misdeed,” she said but did not give any answer to the question whether the government has taken any measure to stop unabated torture on innocent citizens and killing of criminals by the elite force members.

Meanwhile, Rab-10 men took Masum's father and one of his cousins to their office in the city's Dholpur yesterday afternoon from Mouchak area. Later, Masum's father said that they were taken there to have tea.

Rab-10 picked up Masum from his Jatrabari residence on October 22 and reportedly tortured him in public. The battalion personnel allegedly beat Masum up and rubbed salt to the injuries and took him to the Rab office.

The journalist was released after about 10 hours with some mark of injuries on his body.