Major (retd) Sinha murder: Probe committee public hearing underway in Cox’s Bazar

The four-member committee formed by the home ministry started holding a public hearing over the killing of Major (retd) Sinha Md Rashed Khan this morning.

The hearing started at 11:00am at the office of Shamlapur Rohingya Camp in-charge in Teknaf of Cox's Bazar, our Cox's Bazar correspondent reports from the spot.

Rafiq Uddin, chairman of Baharchhara union in Teknaf, told our correspondent that the probe committee has already listed the names of 12 people for recording their witness accounts.

Hundreds of people thronged the Shamlapur Rohingya camp and its surrounding areas, added our correspondent.

On August 12, Shahjahan Ali, Cox's Bazar additional district magistrate and also a member of the probe committee, issued a public statement requesting people to be present at the office and give their witness accounts.

The public security division of the home ministry formed the high-level committee on August 2, headed by Additional Divisional Commissioner of Chattogram Mohammad Mizanur Rahman to investigate the incident.

The two other members of the committee are Lt Col SM Sazzad Hossain, representative of the armed forces division of Bangladesh Army and additional deputy inspector general of Chattagram range Zakir Hossain Khan.

On July 31, Sinha (36), had been making travel documentaries for a YouTube channel called "Just Go". He was returning to Cox's Bazar from Teknaf when his car was stopped at Shaplapur on Marine Drive.

Police claimed that they tried to search the vehicle, and Sinha aimed his pistol at them, prompting them to shoot back in self-defence. They also claimed that they seized drugs from the vehicle.

However, witnesses gave a different account of the incident. They said Sinha got down from his car, put his hands over his head, and then police shot him.