Two bodies start investigation

Two probe committees have been formed to investigate the accusations, made by a freedom fighter at his deathbed, against the Dinajpur deputy commissioner’s office.

Ismail Hossain, 75, of Jogibari village in Dinajpur Sadar upazila, breathed his last on Wednesday at M Abdur Rahim Medical College Hospital in Dinajpur, and the next day he was laid to final rest without state honour, as per his final desires.

The dying freedom fighter rejected the state honour following termination of his son, who worked as a daily wage-based driver at Dinajpur deputy commissioner’s (DC) office.

Md Zakir Hossain, Additional Divisional Commissioner of Rangpur, head of the one-member body formed by the Divisional Commissioner of Rangpur, yesterday visited the family of the freedom fighter, Assistant Commissioner (AC-Land) Ariful Islam and DC Mahmudul Alam of Dinajpur, said KM Tarequl Islam, the divisional commissioner.

Dinajpur district administration formed another one-member probe body comprising Additional District Magistrate Shariful Islam and asked him to submit the report by Sunday.

“It is unfortunate that a freedom fighter was buried without state honour. I could find out a solution if I the DC informed me when the deceased’s family rejected the state honour,” M Iqbalur Rahim, lawmaker from Dinajpur-3 and Whip of Jatiya Sangsad, told this correspondent over phone yesterday.

This correspondent tried to contact DC Mahmudul Alam, but he did not receive the phone calls. 

“My father accused the DC administration in his letter,” said Nur Islam, son of deceased freedom fighter who lost his job from AC Land Office, employed under no-work-no-pay condition in 2017.

After the death of the freedom fighter and his burial without state honour, DC Mahmudul Alam said, “Such an untoward incident could have been averted if I was informed before. My office has returned the job to Nur Islam.” 

But, in the letter addressed to lawmaker Iqbalur Rahim, freedom fighter Ismail Hossain mentioned that his son attempted to meet the DC to inform him of the trouble he was facing in job, but he was not allowed.

Rejecting state honour, he said, “After my death, I do not want the salute of those AC Land, UNO, ADC and DC, who made my son jobless.”

“My son Nur Islam was a driver of Ariful Islam, AC (Land) of Dinajpur Sadar upazila, under no-work-no-pay condition but he was sacked illogically on October 9. The AC and his wife also forced my son to do household works,” he mentioned in the letter.

AC Ariful Islam denied the allegation and said, “I did not feel safe when Nur Islam drove the vehicle as he was a drunkard.”

Terming the claims of the AC as false, Nur Islam said, “My father and I went to the DC, ADC (Revenue) and AC (Land) after I lost the job, but they did not meet with us. Every word of my father’s letter is true.”