Joynal Abedin Khan :
The death toll rose to 27 in Mymensingh stampede after two injured women died at Mymensingh Medical College and Hospital (MMCH) on Friday night.
The incident took place in Nurani Jarda Factory on the Atul Chakrabarty Road within the municipal area during the free distribution of clothes as Zakat early Friday, said Khandakar Mainul Haque, Superintendent of Police (SP) in the district.
The authorities of Nurani Jarda Factory were distributing clothes without any security arrangement, the SP said.
A Sub-Inspector (SI) of Police was suspended on Saturday following the tragic deaths of 27 people, mostly women, in the stampede, the police official said.
The suspended police officer is Saidul Islam, who is also in-charge of the police outpost No. 2 in the district town. “He has been suspended for negligence of duty,” said Mainul Haque.
Additional Police Super Moinul Haque issued the order on Saturday noon, the SP said.
Meanwhile, a court in Mymensingh has sent eight people, including the owner of Nurani Jorda Factory and his son, to prison in a murder case filed for death of people in the stampede.
On Saturday noon, Ahsan Habib, Judge of a Mymensingh court, passed the order after brief hearing.
Police produced the accused in the court with a seven-day remand plea, but the court said it would hear the plea today (Sunday) and sent the accused to jail.
Earlier, SI Rafiqul Islam of Kotwali Model Police Station filed the case on Friday night in connection with the death in the stampede at Nurani Jorda Factory.
Apart from Shamim and his son Hedayet Hossain Talukder, the six other accused are factory manager Iqbal Hossain, Arman Hossain, Alamgir Kabir, Shamsul Haque, Abdul Hanif, and driver Mohammad Parvez.
In the meantime, Inspector General of Police (IGP) AKM Shahidul Hoque has called upon the rich people to take police help during the free distribution of clothes and other items as Zakat.
The IGP said it in view of the death of 27 poor people in a stampede in Mymensingh, said AIG (Media) of the Police Headquarters Nazrul Islam.
“There are scopes of informing officer-in-charge (OC) of the nearest police station and district police super for help at least one day before such scheduled programme” the AIG said quoting the Police boss.
The information can be sent through e-mail or over phone numbers of the OC and the SP of the district. The numbers are available at the website: www.police.gov.bd.
Action will be taken against those responsible if the public interest is ignored at any mass gathering without informing police, he said.
The police chief requested all to take police help, said the AIG.
On the other hand, Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Commissioner Mohammad Asaduzzaman Mia reiterated that the city residents should inform police at least one day before their such programme.
DMP made it mandatory to seek police permission after one day of the Mymensingh tragedy.
He gave the warning at a clothes distribution program held at Paltan Community Centre in city on Saturday morning.
The DMP boss further said that they must give priority to the safety of poor people during the distribution of clothes as Zakat..
Legal action will be taken against the persons responsible if any tragic accident takes place, he warned.
State Minister for Home Affairs Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal on Saturday said that the government would take action against the persons neglecting the duty during a clothes giveaway programme, which resulted death of 27 poor people.
The state minister made the comment while visiting Bashundhara City Shopping Mall in the capital in the afternoon.
Asaduzzaman Khan said, “Usually the shopping mall closes after 8:00pm. But now it runs till 2:00am. The buyers and sellers are safe here.”
In reply of a question, he said that probe committees had been formed to carry fair investigation into the tragic incident on to be followed by legal action.
Adequate security measures have been taken in the markets, he added.
