Of brave cop on UN job

John Nielsen, police commissioner of UN mission in Liberia, reading out a letter of appreciation to Bangladeshi police officer Faruque Hossain, right, for his heroic act in saving a Liberian woman from a mob on January 4. The photo was taken on January 28 at the UN regional headquarters in Harper, Liberia. Photo: Courtesy

It was a heart-stopping moment. An angry mob was encircling a house of a young woman in Pleebo, Maryland County in Liberia, threatening to kill her.
Liberian police, though armed, failed to control the situation as throngs of Pleebo residents gathered there bringing allegation against the Liberian woman of killing a person using witchcraft.
At that moment, responding to a call for help from the cops, a Bangladeshi police officer, working at the UN peacekeeping mission in Liberia as an UN police officer showed up with his team and rescued the woman from the violent crowd.
The rescue operation, carried out by Faruque Hossain and his team was no less than a thriller movie, and sets an example of gallantry, occurred on January 4 this year. It earned him commendation from the United Nations Police (UNPOL) and Liberian local government authorities.
"We got information around 11:00am that around 1,000 residents of Pleebo surrounded a 29-year-old woman. The local Liberian police sought our help as they failed to control the crowd," Faruque, officer-in-charge of Faridpur Police     Station in Pabna, told to The Daily Star.
Faruque and his partner UN police officer, Katarina Paulson, along with a team of Liberian police rushed there. Interestingly, they led the operation unarmed.
The crowd had tried to block their way but they got their vehicle through it, Faruque said. The mob had asked them to leave saying they would hold her trial, he added.
"We instantly made a decision to get her in the vehicle and speed away. As per the decision, I asked Paulson to turn the vehicle around. At one point, the Liberian police officers on his team cleared the way and they got the victim into the car," he said.
The crowd then started throwing stones at their vehicle, damaging the windshield and the right rear window. But the team drove the woman to safety, at Harper Police Station, some 20 kilometres off the spot.
Faruque was awarded certificates by the Mayor of Pleebo for "expedient, gallant, and rapid response during the evacuation and rescue operation."
In a letter of appreciation, UNPOL said, "You have demonstrated your bravery in the face of danger, and your compassion as an international police officer, for the value of human life."
"Your dedication and commitment contribute not only to the success and achievement of the team's goal and objectives in support of our national counterparts but also to the implementation of UNPOL mission mandate in general."