Staff Reporter :
A tense situation is prevailing over the incident of Police firing in Kalihati upazila of Tangail district.
An adequate number of law enforcing agencies has been deployed in the area to avert any untoward situation.
Meanwhile, the number of death toll rose to three as another man succumbed to his injuries on the way to Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) in the small hours of Saturday.
The victim was identified as Nitai Chandra, said Md Shahidul Islam, Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Kalihati Police Station.
At least seven police personnel of Kalihati Police Station have been withdrawn on charge of firing. Of them, three are sub-Inspectors (SI) and four constables, said S M Mahfuzul Haque Nuruzzaman, Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Dhaka Range.
“The decision has been taken to facilitate an impartial investigation. Legal proceedings will be taken against those who will be found guilty,” said the DIG.
In the meantime, a three-member probe committee headed by Additional DIG (discipline) Md Alamgir Alam has been formed to investigate the incident. The committee has been asked to submit its report within seven days, said a statement issued by the police headquarter.
The other members are Additional Police Super of Dhaka Range Mohammad Akhtaruzzaman and Additional Police Super of Tangail district Md Aslam Khan.
Tangail district administration also formed another probe body in this connection, said Mahbubur Rahamn, Deputy Commissioner of Tangail.
He said the local administration gave Tk 50,000 for each victim’s family. Besides, the autopsy reports by the Tangail Medical College and Hospital has confirmed that the three died from gunshot wounds.
The hospital’s Resident Physician, Md Ashraf Ali, told the media on Saturday that the deaths were caused by bullet injuries. The clash erupted at 4:30pm on Friday when police tried to stop a demonstration by several hundred locals protesting against alleged rape of a woman. The demonstrators blocked the Tangaol-Mymensingh road demanding quick trial of the rapist, suspending traffic movement.
Police barred them from demonstrating on the road triggering a chase and counter-chase. At one point, police charged batons on them and fired from shotguns resulting in the death of Shamim on the spot.
The locals were protesting the rape of a Ghatail woman in front of her son Al Amin on September 15. Rapist Rafiqul Islam Roman is the son of Mozaffar Hossain from Saturia under Kalihati upazila.
Locals say Roman’s wife got engaged in a relation with Al Amin, 17, and she left her husband’s house. Later she was brought back. But Roman’s wife again went to Al Amin on September 12. Later Roman’s family members asked Al Amin, his mother and Roman’s wife to go to their house for discussing the matter on September 15. Roman and his associates stripped off Al Amin and his mother, and tortured them. Roman also allegedly raped the woman.
