Former OC of Sonagazi police station, Moazzem Hossain, recorded the statement of sexual harassment victim Nusrat Jahan Rafi and was slapped with a lawsuit under the Digital Act.
On Monday (May 27), judge of the cyber tribunal in Dhaka ordered an arrest warrant against the OC. The question is, if the OC is facing the fire for acting irresponsibly then will the former Superintendent of Police (SP) of Feni, SM Jahangir Alam go scot free?
A report submitted by SP Jahangir Alam on Apr 11 to the police headquarters stated that Nusrat’s family was wasting time in lodging a case.
However, later, a probe committee by the police found evidence of negligence on the part of the OC and the SP and recommended punishment for both.
Later, Jahangir Alam was withdrawn as SP of Feni and attached to the police Headquarters in Dhaka.
Human rights worker and director of Ain o Salish Kendra, Nur Khan, says “We see discrepancy here; arrest warrant has been issued against one person while we are in the dark about what is being done to punish the other person.”
Anyone who is overtly or covertly linked to Nusrat killing should never be kept above the law.
Head of Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) Banaj Kumar Majumder, says: “The head-quarter can comment on the issue about the SP.”
Assistant IG of police, Sohel Rana (public relations), said: “As per the recommendation of the report, the issue of the SP has been sent to the home ministry and, currently, it’s under process.”
Meanwhile, additional secretary of the home ministry, Sahed Ali observed: “We have not received any such file.”
When contacted, the former SP of Feni, Jahangir Alam, said: “Please contact the police headquarters, they will tell you the necessary.”
On Mar 27 last, police arrested principal of the Sonagazi Islamia Fazil Madrasa, Siraj ud Doula, for sexually harassing a student called Nusrat Jahan Rafi.
On Apr 6, at the principal’s order, his cohorts lured Nusrat to the madrasa roof top and set her on fire.
Sustaining third degree burns, Nusrat, fought for her life for five days and died on Apr 10.