Nusrat’s family relieved after police arrest ex-Sonagazi OC Moazzem

The family of slain Feni madrasa student Nusrat Jahan Rafi are pleased with the arrest of former Sonagazi Police Station OC Moazzem Hossain in a case over her video circulated on social media before her death.

“We are happy to learn about the arrest of OC Moazzem Hossain. I want his punishment to be decided as per his crime,” her brother and plaintiff of the murder case Mahmudul Hasan Noman told bdnews24.com on Sunday.

Noman also demanded punishment of others who conducted propaganda against Nusrat by recording and spreading her video on different media.

Moazzem recorded Nusrat’s statement on his mobile phone after she had brought charges of sexual harassment against Sonagazi Islamia Fazil (Degree) Madrashah principal SM Siraj-ud-Daula in March.

The video was released on social media amidst widespread protest over a deadly arson attack on Nusrat allegedly by followers of Siraj, who had already landed in jail on the sexual abuse charges, in April.

Moazzem, first transferred and then suspended along with three other police officials for negligence in handling the Nusrat case, had denied circulating the video on social media.

Someone had stolen the video from his mobile phone and released it on the Internet, he had said.

Police arrested him from near the High Court in the capital on Sunday afternoon in the case over the video, 20 days after the Bangladesh Cyber Tribunal issued a warrant for his arrest.

The prosecution had earlier sought Moazzem’s inclusion in the charge-sheet of Nusrat murder case as well.

“My sister went to the police station with my mother on Mar 27 to protest against the crimes against her. People know that another woman was harassed by police at Sonagazi station the same day when she wanted to lodge a complaint over sexual abuse,” Noman told bdnews24.com on Sunday.

He thanked lawyer Syed Sayedul Haque Sumon, the plaintiff of the case against Moazzem, for standing by the family.

“OC Moazzem has been arrested today because he was made accused in the case. We are getting justice,” Noman said.  

His mother Shirin Akter expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who had vowed justice for Nusrat and ordered officials to not spare anyone involved with the wrongs the teenaged girl had faced.

“We will be able to forget some of the unbearable pain now,” Shirin said about the arrest of the former OC.