Probe body formed over arrest of elderly teacher in Gazipur

Gazipur Metropolitan Police (GMP) have formed a three-member probe committee over the arrest of two people, including an 85-year-old retired school teacher Kafil Uddin, in an extortion case.

Meanwhile, Gazipur Metropolitan Magistrate Mohammed Iqbal Hossain on Sunday granted bail to the teacher after 48 hours of detention in the case.

Another arrestee, the teacher's nephew, Jahirul Islam Razu, 37, was denied bail and sent to jail by the court.

The committee headed by the Additional Commissioner of GMP Barkat Ullah Khan has to submit a report in the next seven days, confirmed GMP Deputy Commissioner (Crime) Zakir Hasan.

The other members of the committee are- Deputy Commissioner Mizanur Rahman, and Additional Deputy Commissioner Khairul Alam, he added.

GMP Additional Commissioner Barkat Ullah Khan, head of the investigation committee, said, "The probe committee visited the scene in the Bagbari area of Kashimpur on Sunday. During the visit, testimonies of some people have been taken."

The investigation is underway keeping all aspects of the incident in mind and the report will be submitted to the GMP Commissioner within the stipulated time, he said.

Action will be taken if anyone is found to be negligent in carrying out duties, the additional commissioner added.

When asked, GMP Commissioner Khandaker Lutful Kabir refused to make any comment on the matter.

The arrest of the retired headmaster Kafil Uddin, 85, and his nephew has raised questions among various quarters. Many have posted on Facebook criticising and condemning the incident.

Urban Development Journalist Forum of Bangladesh (UDJFB) also condemned the arrest.   

UDJFB President Amitosh Paul and General Secretary Shohel Mamum urged the police and concerned authorities to investigate the issue impartially and punish those who intentionally harassed the octogenarian school teacher and his family.

Moreover, Bangladesh Health Reporters Forum (BHRF) will hold a human chain on Tuesday at the Dhaka Reporters Unity (DRU) premises condemning the harassment of the school teacher by the police and a vested group.

The relatives of the arrested persons alleged that a group of land grabbers has been harassing them for a long time by lodging one false case after another.

To intimidate the headmaster and grab his land, the land grabbers allegedly filed a case in Kashimpur police station accusing Kafil Uddin, his nephew, of vandalism, assault and extortion.

According to the case statements, Kafil Uddin and his men broke down the boundary wall of a chicken farm, looted 12 pieces of corrugated iron sheets, 200 broiler chickens, and felled 25-30 trees on the farm.

But, the teacher's family alleged that some 26 fabricated cases similar to this one have been filed against them in different police stations.

According to locals, the police usually investigate a matter before registering a case. Often they delay case registration. But this case was registered quickly, and two people were arrested in a hasty manner.

Kamrun Nahar Shova, daughter of Kafil Uddin, said they have 1.80 acres of ancestral land in the Bagbari area of Gazipur City Corporation.

A man named Imtiaz Karim, son of Fazlul Karim from the Gulshan area of the capital, and his associates have tried to occupy the land at different times.

"Not only that, they are trying to characterise us as land grabbers by filing multiple cases. But I don't know why the police are supporting the actual land grabbers, registering their cases without investigation," she said.

Now that an investigation committee has been formed, we hope that they will bring the land grabbers to justice," Kamrun Nahar added.