Locals refute RAB’s claim of arresting Ganabhaban protester’s cousin with Yaba tablets

Narayangnj’s Sonargaon residents have refuted the claim of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) that the cousin of the youth, who had demonstrated in front of Ganabhaban ‘demanding justice’, was caught with contraband drugs.

RAB had claimed that Abul Kalam Azad’s cousin ‘Sohel’ was caught with contraband Yaba or methamphetamine tablets.
 
But locals, including the Union Council chairman, say they have never seen Sohel smoking, let alone taking drugs.
 
His family alleges that he has been framed for Azad’s demonstration in front of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s residence demanding action against those local influential people who have allegedly grabbed lands.
 
RAB said Sohel was arrested only after a raid in his Panchamighat house led to recovery of more yaba pills.
 
RAB-11 official Mahmudur Rahman filed a case against Sohel, claiming that 370 yaba pills were found on him and in the house.
 
The elite force said he was a drug peddler, but Sonargaon Police Station OC Md Manjur Quader could not give information on any such allegation or case against him.
 
Police have moved the court seeking a five-day remand to question Sohel.
 
Meanwhile, Azad said there was no complaint (general diary) or case against them.
 

He alleged that Metro Knitting and Dyeing Factory owner Amal Poddar’s nephew Bappi Poddar framed Sohel with the help of RAB in a planned manner.

“They get any one arrested using RAB, if there is a land dispute,” he said.

Azad stood with a placard in front of the Ganabhaban on Sunday to draw the prime minister’s attention to the matter.

RAB raided the house of Sohel and arrested him at night on the same day.

Azad, who is in hiding fearing arrest, alleged the RAB personnel also assaulted him.

Sohel passed Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) examination last year. His father Nur Uddin is a chicken trader.

Garment factory worker Azad’s father Abdul Khalek is a former official of Panchamighat High School.

Residents of the area told bdnews24.com on Tuesday that they had not seen Sohel misbehaving or indulging in any unscrupulous activities.  

They also suspected he was framed due to the land dispute.

Sadipur Union Council Chairman Abdul Rashid Molla said, “The boy who was held allegedly with yaba is a student. He has not even smoked in his life. But he was shown arrested with yaba.”

After the raid on Sunday night, RAB-11 commander Lt Col Anwar Latif Khan told bdnews24.com: “My team found yaba in his pocket. The pills were also found in his house. The drive was conducted in presence of neighbours and relatives.”

The RAB official claimed there was no connection between the arrest of Sohel and Azad’s demonstration in front of the Ganabhaban.

“We didn’t go there to settle any issue regarding land. That’s not our job. We went to catch an accused with yaba,” he added.

RAB-11 had also been criticised when its investigation found involvement of then battalion commander Tarek Sayeed Mohammad and two other top officials in the murder of seven in Narayanganj last year.

Twenty-five RAB officials were accused of murdering the seven, including ward councillor Nazrul Islam, in exchange of money taken from Awami League leader Nur Hossain.