Abu Sufian and Kailash Sarkar
Dhaka, Nov 1 (bdnews24.com) - There have been allegations that controversial officers in the police and RAB administrations have been retained despite several changes in the police administration by the caretaker government.
The 14-party alliance had submitted three lists of 'controversial' police officers to the caretaker chief.
Awami League general Secretary Abdul Jalil alleged that the lawmen were providing shelter to the BNP-Jamaat-backed miscreants despite the four-party alliance not being in power.
Jalil referred to, what he called, police protection to former Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) leader Sahabuddin Laltu who was brought, after receiving injuries, to the capital from Faridpur district under police protection.
Top leaders of the Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD) and the Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB) Wednesday told bdnews24.com that the BNP-Jamaat loyalists in police and RAB key posts had not been transferred.
A bdnews24.com investigation found resentment and dissatisfaction among the police officers claiming to have been deprived of various facilities.
They also spoke against those officers, who having party ties, managed to take undue advantages in matters relating to promotions and transfers, during the BNP tenure.
A number of police sources welcomed Tuesday's massive shuffle at the Additional Inspector General (Addl-IG) and DIG-levels of the police administration, and also said that the caretaker government was still to take action against 'listed' and 'controversial' lawmen at the DC (Deputy Commissioner) level.
Referring to the political violence at Paltan on October 27, sources said that police actually provoked the Awami League and Jamaat to engage in clashes.
The daylong clashes left five persons killed and scores injured, some with bullets.
Sources blamed Monzur Morshed, DC of Paltan zone, for not taking proper initiatives to stop the violence adding that he [Morshed] favoured the Jamaat activists during the clashes as his [Morshed's] father was the Amir of Jamalpur district Jamaat.
There were also allegations by the same sources against, DC of Uttara zone, Monir Hossain, whom they blamed for favouring the armed cadres of BNP and Jamaat in the area.
He [Monir] was the president of Islami Chhatra Shibir, Sher-e-Bangla Agriculture University unit, sources added.
Meanwhile, the Addl-IG Faruq Ahmed and DC of Tejgaon zone Kohinoor Mia were also blamed for their 'partisan' roles during the BNP tenure.
Sources said that Faruq [while DC of DB] and Kohinoor had kept close ties with 'Hawa Bhaban' and tortured the leaders, activists and supporters of the opposition camps filing 'false' cases in the last five years.
Kohinoor-led baton-wielding policemen conducted a midnight raid on Shamsunnahar Hall, a women students' dormitory of Dhaka University in 2002, kicking up a severe controversy.
He is also alleged to have led attacks on AL leaders, including Matia Chowdhury, Mohammad Nasim, Tofail Ahmed and Saber Hossain Chowdhury.
Finally, his [Kohinoor] policemen swooped on Mahila Awami League activist Shanta, tore her clothes and beat her up mercilessly near capital's Rapa Plaza during a hartal this year. The lady [Shanta] had filed a case against Kohinoor.
Meanwhile, allegations against the director of the Legal and Media Wing of RAB, Commander Mashuk Hasan, is also rife, say the elite force sources.
Mashuk is from a village neighbouring that of former state minister for home affairs Lutfozzaman Babar in Netrokona district, and based his actions with Babar's influence, the sources allege.
Mashuk was also blamed for threatening a former squadron leader while working in favour of former legislator Khadiza Amin, also from Netrokona district, over a land dispute.
Former squadron leader Akther Hossain had submitted a written complaint to the former Prime Minister and the DGFI in this connection.
JSD president Hasanul Haq Inu told bdnews24.com that they had prepared lists of 'partisan' and 'controversial' lawmen linked with BNP and Jamaat politics. "We will talk with the caretaker chief on this issue," he added.
Inu also said that they were observing initiatives taken by the caretaker chief over shuffle of the police administration.
CPB general secretary Mujahidul Islam Selim said that it was impossible to hold free and fair elections without a neutral administration.
bdnews24.com/ast/ks/rm/ah/1858 hrs
