Staff Reporter :
Major (Retd) Sinha Mohammad Rashed Khan was killed as he came to know the involvement of suspended Teknaf Police Station officer-in-charge (OC) Pradeep Kumar Das in trading of banned yaba pills, said Rapid Action Battalion (RAB).
“Following the killing, OC Pradeep along with other accused including Baharchhara Camp in-charge Liakat Ali arranged a drama of recovery of drugs from Major (Retd) Sinha’s companions,” said RAB’s Legal and Media Wing director Lt Col Ashique Billah while addressing a press conference at the RAB office in the city on Sunday.
According to Ashique Billah, Major (Retd) Sinha murder was planned right inside the Teknaf Police Station. The plan was finalised two weeks before the killing. “Sinha murder was a pre-planned one. OC Pradeep was the mastermind behind it. Sinha and his companions went to Teknaf in July this year to make a video film for his travel based Yutube channel ‘Just Go.’ Locals informed him about OC Pradeep’s involvement in various misdeeds including smuggle of yaba pills into the country [from neighbouring Myanmar]. Major Sinha wanted to interview OC Pradeep about the complaints against him. At that time, Sinha’s companions were with him. But, OC Pradeep asked Major (Retd) Sinha to abandon his plan. He also threatened him of dire consequences unless he followed the directive of the OC,” Ashique Billah said.
RAB on Sunday pressed charges against 15 people, including former officer-in-charge of Teknaf Police Station Pradeep Kumar Das, in the Major (retd) Sinha Rashed Khan murder case.
Superintendent of Police in Cox’s Bazar ABM Masud Hossain, however, was not formally indicted.
“The investigation officer recommended that departmental action be taken against him [SP Masud],” said Lt Col Ashiq Billah Lt Col Ashiq Billah, Director of RAB’s legal and media wing, at a press conference held at the elite force’s media centre in the capital yesterday.
“The officer found him to be negligent in his duties and unprofessional in his conduct. He did not visit the spot when Pradeep called him to report Sinha’s death, which he should have. He also looked the other way while Pradeep carried out his activities in Teknaf,” the Rab official said.
Sinha was killed at an APBn check-post on the Cox’s Bazar-Teknaf highway on July 31.
Local police said Inspector Liaqat’s team had taken over the check-post from the three APBn officers before the incident happened.
Right after the incident of Major (retd) Sinha’s murder, a phone call had allegedly taken place between OC Pradeep and SP Masud, that later got leaked on social media.
In the phone call, Pradeep was heard telling SP Masud that an army major was killed in an encounter.
On September 16, the home ministry transferred SP ABM Masud to Rajshahi.
Sharmin Shahriar Ferdous, elder sister of Major (retd) Sinha Md Rashed Khan, sought to make SP ABM Masud Hossain an accused in the murder case, but a court later denied her request.
