Cops save minister's brother from mob

A minister's brother indiscriminately beat up the driver of a covered van for hitting his rickshaw at the city's Shaheb Bazar zero point yesterday.
The merciless beating led to public wrath, requiring police to shield Naimul Haque Babu, brother of State Minster for Power Brig Gen (retd) Mohammad Enamul Haque.
The victim, Tawheed Shikdar, driver of a pharmaceutical company, Biopharma Ltd, received bruises all over his body. He took medical aid at his office.
Babu started beating Tawheed up soon after the covered van hit the rickshaw. Babu, also owner of a petroleum pump in the city, did not stop despite Tawheed repeatedly begging pardon.
After a 20-minute beating, he dragged Tawheed to the courtyard of Chilies Kabab and Restaurant and unleashed another round of beating, closing the collapsible gate.
Resented by Babu's conduct, stick-wielding locals tried to break open the gate and wanted to teach Babu a lesson, a witness said. Later police rescued Babu from the restaurant and took both Babu and Tawheed to Boalia Police Station.
Khan M Shahriar, the officer-in-charge, said police freed the two following "reconciliation" and claimed they did not force Tawheed into the reconciliation.
"From whom will I seek justice?" said Tawheed, hailing from Barisal. "Police blamed me. How can I seek justice in this situation?" Contacted, Babu said, "I forgive him [the victim], and he too did not make any complaint".