Death of Liza: Investigation finds ‘lack of responsible behaviour’ by OC

Police investigation into the death of Liza Rahman has found “lack of responsible behaviour” by the Officer-in-Charge of Shah Makhdum Police Station SM Masud Parvez.

The investigation, however, did not find “misbehaviour” with Liza by the police, as claimed by her family members, Rajshahi Metropolitan Police (RMP) Commissioner Md Humayun Kabir told The Daily Star yesterday.

“We would seek an explanation from the OC and take departmental action in accordance with his answer,” he said.

Liza Rahman, 18, a second year HSC student of Rajshahi Women’s Government College went to the police station on September 28.

After an hour, she stepped out of the police station, collected kerosene from a local store and set herself on fire beside the police facility.

She died at Dhaka Medical College Hospital on October 2.

RMP formed a two-member committee to investigate the incident.

Salma Begum, an additional commissioner, headed the committee while Abdullah Al Mamun, deputy commissioner of Detective Branch, was a member. The committee submitted its report on Thursday.

The report observed that the girl was  “mentally devastated” when she visited the police station, following pressures from her husband and in-laws for divorce, the police commissioner said.

When she went to the police station, Liza did not receive the behaviour she hoped for, he said, referring to the police report.

“Police stations don’t deal with all family issues… The OC acted as per the law when he sent the girl to the victim support centre that deals with such issues,” the RMP commissioner said.

“But the OC could have done more. He should have taken the time to counsel and pacify her,” he said.

He said the investigation report was based on interviews with police officials working at the police station at that time, CCTV footage showing Liza calmly leaving the police station and the case [filed by Liza’s father Mohammad Alam] description.

Mohammad Alam, however, told this correspondent earlier that he did not file the case by himself.

Alam alleged that police picked him up from his home in Gaibandha, took him to the police station in Rajshahi, and took his signature on the case paper.

When asked, the RMP commissioner said, “Several senior officials were present when he came to Rajshahi to file the case. He didn’t complain at that time.”

The RMP commissioner said the investigating team did not talk to Liza’s sister Rani and step-brother Shihab Ahmed, who were with Liza while she was undergoing treatment at DMCH.

The probing team also could not manage Liza’s dying declaration as Rani and Shihab Ahmed claimed to have, through on-duty doctors before her death, he said.

Acting on police’s investigation report, the RMP commissioner asked officers-in-charge of all 12 police stations in Rajshahi to behave “cordially and responsibly” with all those who come to police stations with complaints.

His order came while he was addressing a meeting with police officials at RMP headquarters yesterday, more than one participant of the meeting said.

Asked about his directives, the RMP commissioner said, it was a routine directive usually given in all meetings with officers.