Rabbi now 'threatened'

The Bangladesh Bank official, who was tortured by police on January 9, has allegedly received "indirect threats" to refrain from seeking legal actions against his torturers.

Two men posing as journalists entered the Dhaka Medical College Hospital cabin, where BB Assistant Director Golam Rabbi is being treated, around 12:30am and issued the threats, said Rabbi's brother Rashed Alam.

"The men, aged between 27 and 30, told Rabbi that the country's existing law and order situation was such that even incidents of murders and forced disappearances were commonplace and people responsible for those incidents are rarely brought to justice."

"They then inquired about the status of security for Rabbi at the hospital.

"I think what they said and did contain elements of a potential threat," Rashed told The Daily Star yesterday evening.

On the night of January 9, Sub-Inspector Masud Shikder of Mohammadpur Police Station and his men beat up Rabbi and demanded Tk 5 lakh from him. The officer also threatened to kill him in "a shootout" and frame him in narcotics cases if he didn't pay them the money.

Rabbi was planning to sue the policemen once he recovered and that is why the "concealed threat" was issued to him, Rashed believes.

Identities of the two men could not be confirmed.

Assistant Commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police Hafiz Al Faruque, who is probing the alleged assault following a written complaint by the victim on Sunday, said he was unaware of the threats.

The incident of police brutality caused a massive outrage among the people. Many have taken to the social media to protest the incident and have demanded that the law enforcers involved in the incident be sacked from their jobs and made to stand trial for abusing power.

Yesterday, a group of different professionals and students formed a human chain at the capital's Shahbagh, demanding justice for Rabbi.

Nur Khan, director of rights body Ain o Salish Kendra, visited Rabbi at the hospital yesterday morning and offered him legal assistance to bring the culprits to book.

"The government must take into consideration the deviating ideology and values of the police force and punish the guilty policemen for the greater interest of the nation," Nur Khan told journalists at the DMCH.

PROBE BODY FORMED

The police headquarters yesterday formed a three-member committee to investigate the alleged police assault on Rabbi and a Dhaka South City Corporation official by police, reports UNB.

Bikash Chandra Das, a cleaning inspector of DSCC, was beaten by policemen in Jatrabari area early yesterday.

The probe panel, led by Additional DIG (ICT) Harun-ur-Rashid, has been asked to submit its report as early as possible.

Legal actions would be taken as per the inquiry report, Assistant Inspector General (Media) Nazrul Islam told The Daily Star.

On Wednesday, Bangladesh Bank Governor Atiur Rahman wrote to the police chief demanding trial of the those involved in the torture of the central bank official.