Negligence of local admin, police found [ Tritiyo Matra News ]

Negligence of local admin, police found

Local November 14, 2016

Two police probe bodies found negligence of upazila nirbahi officer and police officer-in-charge, who were withdrawn later, regarding attacks on Hindus at Nasirnagar upazila in Brahmanbaira on October 30 while another Hindu house was set on fire there on Sunday.
Police headquarters probe committee also found that a third party instigated the attacks taking advantages of ruling Awami League infightings.
Miscreants set fire to the house of Chhottu Lal Das of Paschimpara of Nasirnagar town early Sunday, said Nasirnagar police station officer-in-charge Abu Jafar.
The two police probe bodies are likely to submit their reports today while another probe committee formed by Brahmanbaria district administration is set to miss its deadline today for the submission of the report.
Police headquarters probe committee chief Chittagong range additional deputy inspector general of police Shakhawat Hossain and district police probe committee chief Brahmanbaria additional superintendent of police Iqbal Hossain said that they would submit the reports today.
The police headquarters formed the probe body on November 1 asking for the report in seven working days while district police formed the committee on October 31 to submit the report in 10 working days.
The deputy commissioner formed a probe committee led by additional district magistrate Shamsul Haque on October 31 giving 10 working days to submit the report.
A member of the committee said that they would not be able to submit the report by the deadline that would expire today. Shamsul Haque said that they were still investigating the attacks.
All the three probe committees were asked to identify the causes behind the attacks and find whether the local police and administration had any negligence while dealing with the attacks, officials said.
About 200 houses and business establishments and 22 temples of the religious minority group were vandalised and robbed during the attacks on Hindus at Nasirnagar upazila town and Haripur union on October 30.
The attacks came following two rallies organised by Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat and Towhidi Janata of qoumi group backed by Hefajat-e-Islam demanding punishment of Hindu young fisherman from Harineber village of Haripur union Rasraj Das allegedly for sharing a doctored photo showing an idol set on the Kaaba on his Facebook wall on October 28.
In further attacks, miscreants set fire to at least six houses of Hindus on November 4 and 5.
Shakhawat Hossain said that in the investigation, the found that ‘the attacks ensued from Haripur and a third party instigated it taking advantage of intra-party conflicts between ruling Awami League’s union unit president [Faruk Hossain] and union council chairman [Dewan Atikur Rahman Akhi elected with party nomination] of Haripur…This third party also instigated attacks at Nasirnagar town.’
He said that they found negligence of local administration and police. ‘Local administration and police had made wrong assessment…UNO had given permission to hold the rallies without consulting local police,’ he said, adding that normal practice was that when such a situation arose upazila nirbahi officer should consult police.
‘Police did not collect advance intelligence information, they failed to take proper preparation’ he said.
Iqbal Hossain also said that the then upazila nirbahi officer did not consult the police officer-in-charge.
‘When the number of mob at the rallies increased, police failed to rush quickly…Had police responded fast, massacre could have been reduced significantly,’ he said.
He, however, refused to say anything about political connection of the instigators and attacks but said that they had identified the instigators of the attacks.
The government withdrew upazila nirbahi officer Chowdhury Moazzam Ahmed on November 6 and police officer-in-charge Abdul Kader on November 2 amidst protests for their failure to contain the attacks.