The Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) has promised that it will make no effort to protect any of its officials if they are found to be involved in the abduction and murder of seven people including city Councillor Nazrul Islam in Narayanganj.
Published : 06 May 2014, 06:13 PM
RAB Director General (DG) Mokhlesur Rahman gave the assurance on Tuesday at a meeting of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Ministry of Home Affairs.
Committee chief Tipu Munshi told reporters that panel members expressed concerns over the killings and law and order situation in Narayanganj.
The elite force has already formed a four-member investigation team after Nazrul’s father-in-law Shahidul Islam alleged city Councillor Nur Hossain had paid members of RAB-11 Tk 60 million to carry out the abduction and murders.
The parliamentary watchdog’s meeting on Tuesday was also attended by Mokhlesur Rahman, Inspector General of Police (IGP) Hassan Mahmood Khandker and State Minister for Home Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal.
Munshi said both the IGP and RAB DG had assured them of clearing the confusion ‘very soon’.
“RAB said they will not try to protect anyone. Highest possible punishment will be handed down to anyone involved,” said the Awami League MP from Rangpur-4.
Ward-2 Councillor Nazrul Islam, senior lawyer Chandan Kumar Sarker and five others were abducted from Narayanganj on Apr 30. All of their bodies were found floating in the Shitalakhya River several days later.
After the sensational murders, Narayanganj’s RAB-11 Commanding Officer (CO) Lt Col Tarek Sayeed Mahmud was removed.
Nazrul’s father-in-law is mainly accusing him of the murders.
Munshi on Tuesday said they had come to know that Mahmud was the husband of a minister’s daughter through newspaper reports.
They told the related officials that the government or any political party would not held responsible for the perpetrators, he said. “Measures will be taken against whoever it is.”
Munshi said if any law enforcer was involved in this crime, he should be punished more than what a commoner would have faced for committing a similar crime.
He added that the parliamentary standing committee would sit again in 15 days to find out the progresses in the investigation.