ADC Harun suspended
The government has suspended the additional deputy commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s (DMP) Ramna Zone, Harun-Ar-Rashid, on charges of torturing three central leaders of Bangladesh Chattra League (BCL) on Saturday night, which came to light on Sunday.
A gazette signed by the home ministry’s public security division senior secretary Md Mustafizur Rahman was issued by the order of the president on Monday evening, suspending ADC Harun.
It stated Harun-Ar-Rashid must be kept away from government duty mandatorily in public interest and he has been suspended from government service as per the Government Service Law 2018 since 11 September 2023.
ADC Harun will remain attached to the police department and receive allowance. The gazette was issued in public interest, it added.
Prior to suspending ADC Harun, BCL central president Saddam Hossain and general secretary Sheikh Wali Asif met the DMP commissioner Khandakar Golam Faruque at the DMP headquarters and urged the latter to take action against the policemen involved in the incident.
After emerging from the DMP headquarters, BCL president Saddam Hossain told the journalists, “The DMP commissioner assured us of ensuring maximum punishment to the responsible policemen through departmental investigation.” He also said they wanted to file no case.
News on ADC Harun possibly facing suspension started arriving after the two BCL leaders met the DMP commissioner. Home minister Asaduzzaman also confirmed the news to Prothom Alo.
The three BCL leaders who became victims of police torture are Anower Hossain, the organising secretary of the BCL central committee, CL central science affairs secretary and DU’s Shahidullah Hall unit general secretary Sharif Ahmed and DU’s Bangabandhu Hall unit president Mahbubur Rahman. Anower Hossain underwent treatment at a hospital with severe injuries while the others left hospitals after being treated.
Police beat them at the Shahbah police station in the capital on Saturday night, and the news came to light on Sunday, sparking reaction among former and incumbent BCL leaders and activists.
The victims alleged that ADC Harun had an altercation over personal matters with president Md Shahabuddin’s assistant personal secretary (APS) Azizul Haque. The APS called the BCL leaders to the spot. Later police took the BCL leaders to Shahbagh police station and tortured them.
Amid much hue and cry over the incident, ADC Harun was first withdrawn from Ramna Zone of DMP and attached to its public order management department and later in the evening, he was transferred to the Armed Police Battalion (APBn), which followed the suspension order today, Monday.
In the meantime, the DMP formed a three-member committee to probe the incident. Led by the DMP ADC (operations), the committee was asked to file an investigation report in two days.