Suspend two errant OCs

The High Court yesterday directed the government to take disciplinary measures against officers-in-charge of two police stations for their negligence in taking actions against criminals who raped two girls in Barisal and Narayanganj.
The inspector general of police has to initiate departmental proceedings to consider suspension of Syed Nazrul Islam, OC of Araihazar Police Station in Narayanganj and OC Rabiul Islam of Bakerganj Police Station in Barisal, if such action is necessary for fair investigation, the court said.
The High Court bench of Justice AHM Shamsuddin Choudhury Manik and Justice Jahangir Hossain Selim passed the orders during the hearing on two separate rules earlier issued by it regarding the incidents.
Deputy Attorney General ABM Altaf Hossain told The Daily Star that he has already informed the IGP of the High Court orders.
INCIDENT IN N'GANJ
Four to five people led by Shahjahan, son of Abdur Rahim, from Aguandi village of Mahmudpur union of Araihazar upazila, kidnapped and raped a 14-year-old girl tying her mother up on the night of January 19.
The daily Prothom Alo published a report on the incident on January 24 saying that OC Syed Nazrul Islam did not file any case and did not take any action against the suspects even four days after the incident.
Syed Nazrul Islam said he had heard about the incident, the report said, adding that the victim was admitted to Narayanganj Victoria Hospital.
Following the report, the High Court summoned Nazrul Islam and Sub-Inspector of Araihazar Police Station Nazmul Huda yesterday to hear their explanations about their actions.
Appearing before the court yesterday, Nazrul Islam said he did not take any action against the incident since he was not informed of the incident before three days had gone.
SI Nazmul Huda, however, told the court that he visited the spot and informed Nazrul of the matter around 5:00am on January 20 over the mobile phone.
Justice Manik then asked Nazrul and Nazmul which one of them was telling the truth. Nazrul then admitted that he received the phone call from Nazmul but he was sick and could not take any step.
Justice Manik rebuked the OC saying he was lying and he should be punished for his negligence in duty, which resulted in evidence being damaged.
The judge said the OC not only harmed the family of the victim, the nation and society but also damaged the image of the whole police administration.
The court asked the superintendent of police of Narayanganj to protect the victim's family members.
INCIDENT IN BARISAL
A school student of Bakerganj upazila in Barisal committed suicide on October 21 last year after she was raped by a group of criminals of her village on October 13.
When her parents went to the police station to file a rape case police recorded it as an abduction case instead of a rape case, according a report published in the daily Prothom Alo.
Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh filed a writ petition in this regard on October 23 and its president Manzill Musrhid appeared before the court seeking necessary orders against the people responsible for the death of the student.
After a court order, Additional Inspector General of Police of Barisal Range Vanu Lal Das investigated the incident and submitted the report before the court on January 24.
The report said OC Rabiul Islam had neglected his duty of protecting the girl's honour. Had the OC taken action against the culprits, the girl would not have committed suicide, the report said.