After finding evidence of negligence in the Nusrat Jahan Rafi murder case, the Police Headquarters have suspended ex-Sonagazi OC Moazzem Hossain and Sub-Inspectors Iqbal Hossain and Md Yusuf, and transferred SP Jahangir Alam.
Moazzem, Iqbal, and Yusuf will face further disciplinary action. In addition, Feni Additional Deputy Commissioner Enamul Karim has also been found to act without due diligence regarding the matter.
The decisions were made based on a police probe report filed late on Tuesday (Apr 30), said Assistant Inspector General (Media) Shohel Rana.
According to police sources, the report says SP Jahangir Alam “blatantly lied” and did not pay any heed when Nusrat was set on fire. He did not bother to visit the site of the incident until police headquarters demanded expedited action. Furthermore, OC Moazzem tried to cover up the murder as suicide, and received support from SP Jahangir.
Police probe debunks and rebukes SP
SP Jahangir told the probe committee that while the incident occurred at 9:30am in the morning, he was not informed of the incident since he was in Khagrachhari for an event, for which he set after 12 noon. He claimed to come to know of it when he passed Ramgarh, and then came back to Feni instead of going to Khagrachhari.
However, the probe team found that Sonagazi police informed Jahangir at 10am, and he spent three hours in Feni without making a 30 minute journey to Sonagazi. The report says Jahangir left Feni at 1pm.
The report stressed that a barbaric act like burning a person alive did not move the local police into action, observing “When SP Jahangir was contacted by police headquarters, he was on his way to Khagrachhari. He only went to Sonagazi around 5pm when he was ordered. He should have gone to Sonagazi right away.
OC and AL leader conspired to cover up
OC Moazzed tried to pass the murder as suicide with the help of Ruhul Amin, the expelled president of Sonagazi upazila Awami League. The probe noted that because of widespread coverage in the media, their attempts were foiled. And SP Jahangir submitted a report to the Police HQ supporting OC Moazzem’s warped narrative.
A police DIG, refusing to be named, said the Police HQ is of accord to take disciplinary action against the disgraced police officers as per the report. The Ministry of Home Affairs is being consulted to decide on what course of action should be pursued regarding Jahangir.
For now, Jahangir is being transferred to a non-operational unit, and Moazzem is being transferred. There will be both departmental actions and cases filed against them.
Additional DC Enamul has also been found to be negligent when Nusrat and her family took their grievances to him.
Nusrat Jahan Rafi, a student at Sonagazi Islamia Fazil Madrasa, was set on fire on Apr 6 after she filed a case of sexual harassment against the principal. She died of her burns on Apr 10. Police have arrested 23 people in connection with her murder.