3 constables testify at court

Three police constables yesterday testified before a Sylhet court in the case filed in connection with the murder of Rayhan Ahmed, who was allegedly tortured at Bandarbazar police outpost on October 11. 

The constables -- Shamim, Saidul and Delwar -- testified before Sylhet's Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Ziadur Rahman, said Amulya Bhushan Chowdhury, assistant commissioner (prosecution) of Sylhet Metropolitan Police.

This was the first day of court proceedings for the case, he said.

Inspector Mahidul Islam of Police Bureau of Investigation, the case's investigating officer, produced the constables before court, but he denied to comment on what they said.

The officers are not among those who were suspended and withdrawn from the police station after Rayhan's death.

Rayhan (33), a resident of the city's Neharipara area, died at Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College Hospital at 7:50am on October 11, around an hour after he was admitted there by police.

After allegations of torture arose, an internal probe body of police was formed, which initially found involvement of the outpost's police personnel.

Four officers, including the outpost in-charge Sub-inspector Akber Hossain Bhuiyan, were suspended and three were withdrawn. But Akber, the prime accused, is still on the run.

PBI on Thursday directed all immigration posts to not let him go out of the country.

A three member committee, headed by an assistant inspector general (AIG), has been formed to mainly find out whether anyone helped the accused to abscond, AIG Sohel Rana of Police Headquarters told The Daily Star.

The committee was directed to submit a report within five working days, he said.