'Forcibly disappeared' BNP leader sentenced to jail in 2013 arson case
Sajedul Islam Sumon, a BNP leader from Shahinbagh who has been missing since December 2013 and is believed to be a victim of enforced disappearance, was sentenced to two and a half years' imprisonment yesterday in an arson case.
Late at night on May 25, 2013, a private car was torched in front of what was formerly Ayesha Memorial Hospital while the driver was still inside, according to the first information report (FIR).
Sumon, along with 17 others were accused in a case filed with Tejgaon Police Station over the incident. Sumon was a ward-level BNP secretary-general from Shahinbagh.
Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Sheikh Sadi passed the order in the case filed by the driver of the car that was torched.
The investigation officer of the case submitted the chargesheet to the court on September 24, 2014, formally charging Sumon with arson. The IO wrote in the chargesheet that Sumon was "absconding" and therefore they could not arrest him.
According to his family however, Sumon had been forcibly disappeared for nine months by then.
"My brother was picked up in front of eye-witnesses in December 2013. If they could investigate and accuse him in a case, why could they not investigate and find out where he is?" asked Sanjida Islam Tulee, Sumon's sister.
She is coordinator of Mayer Daak, a platform for families of victims of enforced disappearances. It was after Sumon was forcibly disappeared that this platform came into being.
Sumon's family had time and again said men wearing Rab uniforms, and claiming to be from Rab, had picked up Sumon.
"We had gone to different police stations looking for him, but nobody once told us that they were investigating a case against him. If there indeed was a case, why was he not arrested back then -- before he was picked up?" asked Sanjida.
The police had visited her house four times back then, she said.
Jahangir, the driver of the private car which was set on fire, was the complainant in the case filed with Tejgaon Police Station. He spoke to this correspondent and said he had not filed any case.
"The police took me to the station to know about what happened, and then asked me to sign a piece of blank paper. That is all I know. I didn't see anyone setting the car on fire, so why would I charge anyone?" said Jahangir.
He continued, "I also told the same to the magistrate. I said that I didn't file a case and that I was made to sign a blank paper."
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