1-year of Rayhan’s Custodial Death: Family still awaits justice
One year after the custodial killing of Rayhan Ahmed, the family still awaits justice, as the case's trial just began on September 30.
Rayhan Ahmed (33) of Sylhet city's Neharipara area was tortured at Sylhet's Bandarbazar Police Outpost on early October 11 and died an hour after he was admitted to Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical Hospital by police personnel.
After Rayhan's wife Tahmina Akther Tanni filed a case on October 11, Police Bureau of Investigation pressed charge-sheet against five police personnel and a local journalist on May 5.
The accused are Bandarbazar outpost's suspended in-charge Sub-inspector Akbar Hossain, Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI)
Ashek-e-Elahi, ASI Hasan Uddin, Constable Harunur Rashid, Constable Titu Chandra Das, and Abdullah Al Noman.
All except Noman are in jail.
On September 30, Sylhet's Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate accepted the charge-sheet, framed charges and issued an arrest warrant against the fugitive.
Marking one year of the murder, family members and well-wishers of Rayhan organised a human chain in front of Sylhet Central Saheed Minar yesterday afternoon.
During the human chain, Rayhan's mother Salma Begum said, "It took a whole year to frame charges, so we don't know how long it'll take to conclude the trial."
PRIME ACCUSED TRIES TO MEDIATE
After charge framing, prime accused Sub-inspector Akbar tried to mediate the matter by convincing Rayhan's family.
Rayhan's mother Salma Begum said, "While we went to the jail gate for witness deposition, Rayhan's uncle was taken to a room with Akbar, where Akbar and Ashek-e-Elahi begged for forgiveness. They said they tortured Rayhan to death on wrong information."
A few weeks earlier, Akbar's parents came to Sylhet and proposed for mediation, but Salma refused their proposal, she said.
She added that Akbar then sent a police officer, who said Akbar will take responsibility of Rayhan's family.
"Is it possible to mediate with a murderer? I turned down the proposals," she said.
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