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The state minister for home says they are waiting for the Ministry of Defence (MoD) to take steps regarding the arrests of three former officers of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB).
Published : 14 May 2014, 01:38 AM
The home ministry has done its bit as per the High Court order, Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal said on two television stations on Tuesday.
The High Court on Sunday ordered arrest of the former RAB officers, who allegedly abducted and murdered seven people in Narayanganj.
The officers are former commanding officer of RAB-11 in Narayanganj Lt Col Tarek Sayeed Mohammad and Maj Arif Hossain of the army and Navy’s Lt Commander MM Rana.
Lt Col Mohammad is the son-in-law of Disaster Management and Relief Minister Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya.
The junior home minister spoke to Somoy TV and NTV two days after the order was issued.
Regarding the order, Kamal could be heard saying, “After receiving it, the home ministry has sent the High Court order to the IO (investigation officer of the case) in Narayanganj, the place of the crime.
“The IO sent it to the Police Headquarters. Then it was sent to the defence ministry.”
“The matter is under process.”
“We are waiting for their (MoD) move. We can’t do anything else.
File Photo
“Either they will surrender in court or appeal if they have something to say as a writ has been filed. There is nothing else to do,” he said.
“Today (Tuesday) is a public holiday. They (former RAB officers) have received the notice they were supposed to get and tomorrow (Wednesday) they might appeal or they could surrender.”
The seven, including Narayanganj City Councillor Nazrul Islam and senior lawyer Chandan Kumar Sarkar, were abducted on Apr 27.
Two days after the abduction, the RAB officers were sent back to their parent forces.
Bodies of all abductees were found floating on Shitalakhyya River over two days - Apr 31 and May 1.
The three officials were forced to retire three days after Nazrul’s father-in-law claimed RAB had taken bribes from prime suspect local Awami League leader Nur Hossain to carry out the murders.
A High Court bench on May 5 ordered the government to form a probe committee to look into the allegations. Another bench on Sunday ordered the government to arrest the disgraced RAB officers.
But they are yet to be arrested two days after the order, despite no legal barriers, because of apparent procedural complications between police and the army.
Army sources said Lt Col Mohammad and Maj Arif are currently staying at their quarters at Dhaka Cantonment.
The junior home minister recently had told the media that they were under surveillance.
