The family members of Raihan Ahmed ended their hunger strike on Sunday afternoon after Sylhet City Corporation Mayor Ariful Haque Chowdhury told them that he would talk to the authorities concerned to ensure the accused are arrested.
Raihan’s mother Salma Begum and family members started a hunger strike
from 11am demanding the arrest of all accused, including suspended sub-inspector Akbar Hossain Bhuiyan. The residents of the area also took part in it expressing solidarity.
Mayor Ariful went to Raihan’s house and told his mother that he would talk to the home minister, the foreign minister and others concerned.
“Even then, if the accused are not arrested, I will join a larger movement with the people of Sylhet,” he said.
At that time Salma Begum said: “I don’t want to hear any more assurances. I want to see the initiative.”
Talking to reporters earlier in the morning, she said that the main accused Akbar has not been arrested yet although two weeks have passed since the murder.
Even though seven policemen, including Akbar, were suspended and withdrawn from Bandarbazar police outpost following Raihan’s death in police custody, all of them were not shown arrested in the case filed over the incident, she said.
Only two constables-Titu and Harun-have been shown arrested in the case. Salma said they would continue their strike until the arrest of SI Akbar and the others accused.
Another accused arrested
PBI also arrested another suspect in connection with the death. The arrestee is Saidur Rahman.
PBI Inspector Mohidul Islam said that following the information of Saidur police detained Raihan and brought him to the outpost.
Saidur was first brought to the PBI office before being shown arrested in the case and sent to jail.
A Sylhet court on Sunday placed suspended constable Titu Chandra Das on a fresh three-day remand over the death of Raihan Ahmed at Bandarbazar police outpost.
Sylhet Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court Judge Ziadur Rahman passed the order after Inspector Mohidul Islam of PBI, also the investigation officer of a case, produced him before the court seeking a five-day remand.
A team of PBI arrested him on October 20 from Sylhet Police Lines. Later, he was produced before the court which gave investigators five days to interrogate him.
Meanwhile, another constable Harun was placed on five-day remand on Saturday.
On October 11, Raihan, 34, a resident of Akharia in Sylhet city, was beaten to death in police custody, said the victim’s family.
His wife, Tahmina Akter Tanni, filed a case at Kotwali Police Station the following day accusing a number of unidentified people.
Besides, the authorities on October 12 suspended four policemen, including in-charge of Bandarbazar Police outpost Akbar, in connection with the death.
Three policemen were withdrawn in this connection on the same day. The case was transferred to the PBI.
Besides, the Sylhet Metropolitan Police formed an investigation committee, headed by its Additional Deputy Commissioner Shahrier Al Mamun, to look into the death of Raihan.
After a primary investigation, they found some policemen guilty of foul play.
After the autopsy, doctors said they found 111 injury marks on Raihan’s body and two of his nails were pulled out.
Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen last week said that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was monitoring the case and assured the victim’s family that they would get justice.
