Police have launched a manhunt to arrest former officer-in-charge (OC) of Feni's Sonagazi police Moazzem Hossain, now suspended, two weeks after a special tribunal in Dhaka issued a warrant against him in a case filed under the Digital Security Act.
On May 27, a Cyber Tribunal in Dhaka ordered the arrest of Moazzem for spreading the video of Feni madrasa student Nusrat Jahan Rafi, who died after she was set on fire, on social media.
The court order came after Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) filed its probe report in the case, which found Moazzem guilty under sections 26, 29 and 31 of the Digital Security Act for spreading a video of Nusrat’s statement on Facebook.
On Monday (Jun 10) Feni police (Sonagazi circle) ASP Saikul Islam Bhuiyan told Bangla Tribune that polices started raids to arrest ex-Sonagazi OC Moazzem.
Sonagazi police launched the manhunt on Sunday (Jun 9) night following the higher authorities’ instructions, said Sonagazi police OC Main Uddin.
“A police team has already raided Moazzem’s residence in Cumilla with another team keeping watch on his village home in the southeast district of Jashore,” the OC added.
Police team in Dhaka
Meanwhile, a team from Feni police has arrived in Dhaka to learn Moazzem’s whereabouts.
“Police have been working to trace Moazzem’s location with a Feni police team now staying in Dhaka,” said ASP Bhuiyan.
A reliable source from the police told Bangla Tribune that said OC Moazzem might be called to Police Headquarters then be handed over to the Feni police.
“Sonagazi police are mainly tasked with arresting OC Moazzem,” YM Belalur Rahman of Police HQ’s Public Relation Department told Bangla Tribune.
“Other [police] teams are cooperating with them [Sonagazi police],” Rahman said adding the Police HQ are supervising the whole affairs.
Police examining Moazzem’s call list
Police have also been scrutinizing Moazzem’s call list as well as his relatives.
“To ensure his location, Moazzem’s mobile call list has already been collected and police are also surveilling calls from his relatives,” said Sonagazi OC Main Uddin.
OC Main Uddin, however, hoped that Moazzem would be arrested anytime soon.

Documents from the case filed against Moazzem show, on Mar 27, Nusrat went to Sonagazi police to file a case against Sonagazi Islamia Fazil (Degree) Madrasa Principal Sirajuddaula for sexually assaulting her the day before.

Then OC, Moazzem recorded a video of her statement without her consent, while asking her offensive, and insulting questions. The video then emerged on various social media platforms. It was alleged that Moazzem had put up the video.
Nusrat, 18, who was an Alim examinee, was set on fire by Sirajuddaula’s followers on Apr 6 for refusing to withdraw the rape attempt case her family had filed against him. She died from injuries four days later.