OC of Shah Ali police station withdrawn after attack on healthcare centre in Mirpur

Jahangir Alam, officer-in-charge (OC) of Shah Ali Police Station in the capital, has been withdrawn from his post.

The was disclosed in an order issued by the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) headquarters today, Sunday. Shahriar Ali, deputy commissioner (DC) of the DMP Headquarters and Administration Division, signed the order.

Around midnight last Thursday, a group of miscreants demolished the private healthcare facility Radda MCH-FP Centre in Mirpur-1 in the capital. Shah Ali Police Station is located within one kilometre of the site. Following the incident, OC Jahangir of Shah Ali Police Station has now been withdrawn.

However, the DMP order does not mention the incident as the reason for Jahangir’s withdrawal. It says that Inspector Jahangir, an unarmed police officer, has been withdrawn for “administrative reasons” and attached to the Central Reserve Office of the DMP Headquarters and Administration Division.

Radda MCH-FP Centre began operating in 1974 to provide maternal and child healthcare services to disadvantaged and low-income people in Mirpur. The organisation has been providing various services, including child immunisation, child healthcare, reproductive healthcare and family planning.

According to the organisation, between 200 and 250 people attacked the healthcare centre around midnight last Thursday. Two security guards were held hostage, while valuable equipment, medicines, vaccines, cash and other belongings were looted.

During the attack, which continued for several hours, an excavator was used to demolish the healthcare centre, including one permanent and three semi-permanent buildings. Two signboards and two banners bearing the name “Samomona Dokandar Samabaya Samity Limited” (Like-Minded Shopkeepers Cooperative Society Limited) were subsequently put up at the site.

According to the organisation, the police were informed while the attack, vandalism and looting were taking place. Although police went to the scene, they failed to protect the facility.

The organisation filed a case with Shah Ali Police Station over the incident. The case names former member of the BNP’s Dhaka North City unit, Mohammad Hanif Mia, and 250 unidentified others as accused. The first information report (FIR) states that the total damage amounted to more than Tk 10 million.

Four young men were arrested by police from Shah Ali Police Station last Friday night over their alleged involvement in the incident. Police subsequently arrested five more people after Saturday evening.

DMP Commissioner Mosleh Uddin Ahmed visited the healthcare centre yesterday afternoon. Responding to questions from journalists after the visit, he said those involved would not be spared.

Regarding allegations that vandalism took place in the presence of police, the DMP commissioner said the incident occurred at around 1:45 am. He said an investigation was underway to determine whether police reached the scene in time after receiving the information and whether there had been any negligence or dereliction of duty.

A three-member investigation committee has been formed, headed by an additional deputy commissioner of the DMP’s Darus Salam zone. The committee was instructed to submit its report by Saturday (yesterday). The commissioner had said that if the investigation found evidence of negligence or dereliction of duty by any police officer, strict action would also be taken against that officer.

The OC of Shah Ali Police Station was withdrawn the following day after the DMP commissioner’s announcement.