Bogura cop’s brutality

A local businessman was brutally tortured allegedly by an assistant superintendent of police (ASP) at Bogura Police Lines on Sunday night.

The victim is Ahmed Sabbir, 30, proprietor of Art Line Communication at Altafunnesa Playground in Sutrapur area of Bogura town.

Sabbir said ASP (Shibganj Circle) Md Kudrat-E-Khuda also threatened to cripple him when he went to the office of superintendent of police (SP) to file a complaint in this regard on Monday.

The victim said he used to supply various event management items like banners, photo albums and printed mugs for different programmes of police for the last one and a half years.

On December 10 last year, Sabbir got an order to supply 400 photo albums from the SP’s office. He was supposed to be paid Tk 2.40 lakh for the work.

On December 16, the ASP said the quality of photo albums was substandard and refused to pay the amount. However, in the meantime, Sabbir paid Tk 1.50 lakh to the printing press for the photo books. 

“In February, I got another order to supply 1000 ceramic mugs from the same office. I was supposed to get Tk 1,34,500 and ASP Kudrat paid me this amount in three installments,” said Sabbir.

However, Kudrat took Tk 1.92 lakh for 1200 mugs from the fund of Bogura Police Lines School and College, alleged the businessman.

He bought 1000 mugs for Tk 1.24 lakh from local trader Abul Kalam Azad of the town but he paid Azad Tk 90,000, said Sabbir, adding that after that, Azad continued giving him pressure to pay rest Tk 34,000.

At one stage, Azad filed a complaint to the ASP in this regard. On Sunday, ASP Kudrat called him over phone to appear before the Bogura Police Lines Officers’ Mess.

Kudrat also said if he did not come, he would be picked up by policemen, alleged Sabbir.

At the time, Sabbir asked the ASP to pay him the due money of photo lbums because if he got the dues, he could pay Azad his dues and Kudrat got very furious then.

When Sabbir reached the officers’ mess around 11:00pm, the ASP asked his bodyguard Toukir to beat him. 

“At one stage, ASP Kudrat took away the stick from Toukir and beat me mercilessly, saying I did not pay Azad the full money back,” said the victim.

“Two police constables then arranged a rickshaw for me. Later, I took treatment from a private clinic,” said Sabbir.

“I went to file a general diary but Sadar police did not take the GD,” he said.

“Meanwhile, I was given dues of Tk 1.50 lakh from the SP office on Monday,” said Sabbir.

OC SM Badiuzzaman said he suggested Sabbir to go to the SP as the accused is a high ranking policeman.

Despite repeated attempts, this correspondent could not reach the ASP for his comment on the issue as he did not receive the phone calls.

SP Ali Ashraf Bhuiyan said, “A probe committee, headed by an additional SP, has been formed to investigate the matter. Action will be taken against the accused after getting the report.”