MEDIA reports said Army personnel have detained seven police of Detectives Branch on Wednesday from Teknaf and recovered Tk 17 lakh from their possession they have allegedly taken as ransom from an abducted businessman to let him go. The allegation that detectives abduct people for money is not new. Allegation galore on DB police that they take part in forced disappearance of people for money or such other purposes. They engage in extra-judicial killing and the arrest of the seven DB personnel make it clear that such allegations were not wrong. Many families have to pay such ransom to free their near and dear ones and even lost them as they failed to pay or trace their kidnappers.
We are happy that Army personnel were able to intervene to nab the powerful abductors in uniform. The point is that when they engage in crime using the uniform, people can’t suspect them and even oppose them for being charged in obstructing official duty. People are living insecure from such abduction and the impunity that the abductors are enjoying has left people helpless without the courage to seek justice. Many even fail to lodge complaint with local police because some other policemen may have hands behind it. The quick action of the army personnel however saved the situation and ended in arresting the culprits. It is a big relief to the victim’s family and to others around.
As per reports the alleged DB men picked up blanket trader Abdul Gafur from a restaurant on Tuesday along the Teknaf border and took him to the DB office. Later, they took Gafur to his residence and demanded Tk 50 lakh for his release. After negotiations, the DB men released Gafur for Tk 17 lakh from his family. The victim’s family had earlier informed the matter to the temporary army check-post in the area and they were able to arrest the DB men along with the money on their way back to their office at around 4:30 am. Not surprisingly, the detectives were carrying government-supplied arms and ammunition and wearing DB vest with identity inscribed on the chest and back. DB men however now claim Gafur and four of his brothers were on the list of suspected drug peddlers but why they realized the ransom to let them go is the big question.
The incident shows how the men in uniform are breaking laws and victimizing people. They are making millions as another media reports said Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has charged the Faridpur SP for amassing over Tk 8 crore in four years without known source of income. Needless to say some people have to pay to buy safety from his powerful hands. We must say lawlessness in the law enforcers agencies should end and their movement must be monitored for people’s safety. Let no crime go unpunished.
