The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

Detained former state minister for home affairs Lutfozzaman Babar, former officer-in-charge of Ramna police station Mahbubur and three others were sued for their alleged involvement in inflicting physical torture on a central leader of pro-Awami League Bangladesh Chhatra League under police custody and threatening to kill him in crossfire.

Mohammad Abu Abbas Bhuiyan, Mass Education Affairs Secretary of the central executive committee of Bangladesh Chhatra League, filed the case with the court of Additional Metropolitan Magistrate of Dhaka Mohammad Emran Hossain Chowdhury yesterday.

Other accused of the case are Rezaul Karim, the then sub-inspector of Ramna police station, SI Nasir Ali and Sergeant Anwar Hossain.

Eight persons have been made primary witnesses in the case. More witnesses will be produced before the court during the trial of the case.

In his case, plaintiff Abu Abbas Bhuiyan mentioned that police had arrested him on February 28, 2004 on charge of attacking Dhaka University's teacher, author and linguist Dr Humayun Azad. Inhuman torture was inflicted upon him keeping him under the custody of Ramna police station for as many as five days.

Abbas alleged that police had forced him to confess about the attack on Dr Humayun Azad at the directive of former state minister for home affairs Lutfozzaman Babar. "Since I refused to abide by the order of police, some six to seven policemen mercilessly beat me up with hockey sticks and sticks inside a dark room. They also tied my hands from behind. At one stage, OC Mahbubur Rahman asked me to give confessional statement stating that attack on Humayun Azad was carried out at the directive of the central leaders of Bangladesh Chhatra League. He also told me that I would be released if I gave such a confessional statement," he said.

Later, a militant organisation claimed that they had carried out the attack on Dr Humayun Azad and Abbas was freed.

Bangladesh Institute of Human Rights is providing legal assistance to Abbas in the case.

His lawyer Advocate Alamgir Hossain said the plaintiff could not file the case fearing serious consequences from Babar's men and police administration. But, the accountability of the government officials and employees have increased in the context of changing situation of the country. Nobody is now above the law.

"We appeal to the court to ensure justice to the plaintiff by bringing the accused under the jurisdiction of the law," he said.