Investigation has now found that an assistant sub-inspector (ASI) of Shyampur Police Station is the mastermind of killing a businessman in June. This is not the first instance of police officials being found involved in serious crimes. The seven murder case in Narayanganj was the most devastating for police discipline. It does not need saying many more such crimes committed by police are kept concealed from the people.
It is sad and shameful for police to be criminalised. We are surprised that high police officials seem not worried enough about the consequences of allowing police to be politicised. The culture of unaccountability established in politics by denying free election has made government dependent on police power. Police enjoy too much arbitrary power to use to keep our people in fear of police power. Such a situation of overwhelming police power is to be blamed for police becoming the most corrupt institution in the government.
The government of fraudsters election has to survive by creating opportunities for gainful crimes and easy corruption. But we cannot destroy our smart police force and the higher police authority must save the police as law enforcers and not as law breakers.
From the story of the murder for money it is clear that the police officer had no fear in organising the crime for money and in his confessional statement, one accused Sumon divulged that with two others they took the victim Yunus on June 24 to Keraniganj on the pretext of discussing a human trafficking case against him. They also assured him that his name would be dropped from the case if a big amount of money is paid. Yunus was killed to erase evidence though Tk 300,000 was paid to ASI Nur Alam. Police recovered Yunus’s body from Hasnabad of South Keraniganj on June 25 and the ASI’s involvement also came to light. The police officer had no anxiety that the persons who arranged the money and murder would themselves disclose the crime. If the dead body was not found the police officer could get away with the brutality. We are sure the police officer is a habitual criminal.
The victim’s son said three people — a couple and another woman — rented a flat of their home at Dholaipar in January. Police arrested all the three in mid-January in connection with the alleged sex trade. Police filed a human trafficking case against them and also made Yunus an accused in the case. A week later, SI Nazrul Islam of Shyampur Police Station who was investigating the case, went to their house to arrest Yunus. The SI took Tk 5,000 from him and demanded another Tk 1.2 lakh to drop the charges. The family sought two days from the SI. Later they decided to deal with the matter legally and managed to get bail for his father within two days. In the meantime, police submitted the charge sheet in the trafficking case in May, naming Yunus as an accused.
It is ill-luck for the police officer that he had gone too far to take a man’s life for extorting money. He could not conceal the dead body and crime could not be kept secret.
It is highly disturbing that police so easily commit murder in the hope that they will not be caught and punished.
We urge the responsible high officials to do everything to save our police as law enforcers and not law breakers. Surely there will be public accountability for abuse of police power.
