AL leader ‘beats up' cop

A local leader of ruling Awami League on Saturday allegedly beat up a police official in Gauripur police station of Mymensingh for not releasing three people arrested in a narcotics case.

The AL leader is Rokonuzzaman Pallab, general secretary of Gauripur sadar union parishad and the victim is assistant sub-inspector (ASI) Hasanuzzaman.

“Rokonuzzaman asked me why I arrested the three people on allegation of smoking cannabis. He said I didn’t have the authority to arrest them and hit my chest,” ASI Hasanuzzaman told Prothom Alo yesterday afternoon.

“Several police members of the station rescued me when he started pulling my shirt collar. My shirt was torn,” he added.

Police arrested Pallab immediately after the incident and filed a case against him with the station station for beating a cop.

ASI Hasanuzzaman has filed a case accusing Rokonuzzaman of beating him, said Gauripur police station officer-in-charge Delwar Ahmed.

Members of Gauripur police station and locals said several police men led by ASI Hasanuzzaman were on patrol in the Gabhishimul village adjacent to the upazila health complex around 2:30am on Friday.

At that time three locals -- Manawarul Sifat, Habibur Rahman and Abu Hanif -- were smoking cannabis. The police team detained them and filed charges.

AL leader Rokonuzzaman went to the police station with a request to release them when the law enforcement was preparing to send those accused to court.

Rokonuzzaman was furious when the police did not respond to his request and he started beating Hasanuzzaman.

“We have heard about the matter. The party hasn’t confirmed the incident until now. We shall look into the matter,” said Gauripur upazila unit Awami League general secretary Bidhu Bhusan Das.

Several local people alleged that Rokonuzzaman used the influence of the ruling party to force police release people detained on various charges.