4 policemen remanded

A Dhaka Court yesterday granted a five-day remand for each of the four suspended police personnel in connection with the custodial death of Shamim Sarkar of Savar.
The four -- Ashulia Police Station sub-inspector Emdadul Islam and Savar police constables Ramjan, Mofazzal and Yousuf -- were arrested on Thursday afternoon for allegedly torturing Shamim to death.
Later, they were shown arrested in the murder case filed by victim's elder brother Amin Sarker with Savar Police Station around 11:30pm the same day, said Mostafa Kamal, officer-in-charge of Savar Police Station.
Inspector Aminur Rahman sought seven days' remand for each of the four after producing them before the court.
Another accused, assistant sub-inspector Akidul Islam, is now absconding, police officials say.
Shamim Sarkar, a 30-year-old land broker, was tortured after plain-clothes police picked him up along with his nephew Sohel, 28, at Hemayetpur around 10:30pm Wednesday, his family said.
Around 6:00am on Thursday, a group of plainclothes policemen took Shamim to Mitford Hospital in Old Dhaka and left the scene hurriedly, sources say. Doctors declared him dead after he was taken to the emergency unit.
Police have formed two three-member committees to investigate the incident, Dhaka Superintendent of Police Habibur Rahman told The Daily Star yesterday. One probe body is headed by Additional DIG of Dhaka Range Mizanur Rahman and another by Additional SP Faruque Hossain.
The SP said the five cops and another sub-inspector of Savar Police station Sajjad Hossain have been suspended in this connection.
Also yesterday, family members and locals demonstrated and staged a human chain on Dhaka-Aricha highway after namaz-e-janaza of Shamim demanding justice for the killing. Traffic was suspended for more than 15 minutes.
Attending the namaz-e-janaza around 10:30am, State Minister for Law Quamrul Islam assured the family members that those responsible for Shamim's death would be given exemplary punishment.
The death of Shamim, son of Abdul Halim Sarkar of Hemayetpur, comes only about two weeks after the custodial death of a youth in Sonargaon upazila in Narayanganj.
Family members of Shamim claim police demanded Tk 2 lakh for his release. They threatened to implicate him in serious crimes if the money was not paid.
The magistrate's inquest report has found injury marks on different parts of his body, including his eyes, hands and legs while Sir Salimullah Medical College morgue sources said Shamim was beaten to death.
Quoting Sohel, Amin claimed police tortured Shamim and Sohel confining them to separate but adjacent rooms at a police outpost of Hemayetpur.  Sohel heard Shamim shouting, "I am begging for my life. I will arrange your money."