Probe team returns without talking to victims

The two-member home ministry probe team left Rajshahi for Dhaka yesterday evening without interviewing Bagmara villager Abdul Bari, who says his family has been hiding out for the last year in fear of abuse by the former Rajshahi police superintendent Masud Mia and Bangla Bhai.

Headed by Abdur Rouf, the deputy secretary of the home ministry, the committee came to Rajshahi on Saturday to investigate allegations against Masud Mia of misuse of authority and abetment of criminals.

"We are acting on certain guidelines to look into departmental irregularities and the misuse of power by the former SP. We didn't speak with anyone among the Bagmara villagers as we were not told to examine people who claim to have been harassed by the SP," said the probe team leader Abdur Rouf.

Talking to The Daily Star at the Rajshahi circuit house, Rouf also said their investigation has yet to conclude. "We have only recorded the testimony of policemen at various levels. Now we will grill Masud Mia in Dhaka."

However, the team, which also includes an AIG of police headquarters Hasanul Haider, spoke with the Rajshahi range DIG Noor Muham-mad, Additional DIG Aminul Islam Chowdhury as well as district-level senior officials, including ASP Mozammel Haque and ASP Kabir.

The top-level police officials submitted to the team in writing that the former SP earned a widespread reputation - from a cross section of people including his own subordinates, members of the general public, political leaders, businessmen and journalists - for abusing his power and supporting criminals.

The interviewed policemen also told the team the SP used a broker named Abdul Khalil to collect bribes over their transfers and postings, and that he also held meetings several times with smugglers.

However, the team did not speak with those journalists who obtained records of the SP's close relations with smugglers.

Many of the interviewed policemen told this correspondent they were overcome with panic after submitting their testimony against the former SP. "If the SP is rewarded des-pite the investigation, which is normal in our country, we might face retaliations," said a senior police official.

Meanwhile, Abdul Bari, a small businessman of Bagmara, waited a whole day with his wife Shafinun Nahar, his four-year-old daughter Suborna and his mother-in-law Shahida at the Rahshahi SP office on Sunday to be interviewed by the probe team. In the evening, however, the family was told that the team was informed of their predicament by the concerned officer in-charge before returning.

Bari told journalists that Bangla Bhai and the former Rajshahi SP, influenced by Jagrata Muslim Janata leaders Muhammad Ali Khamaru and his son Mahtab Ali Khamaru, chased and harassed his family.