APS Azizul initiated attack, ADC Harun retaliated

A probe committee has found four people including the president’s assistant personal secretary (APS) Azizul Haque and additional deputy commissioner of police (ADC) Harun or Rashid involved in assaulting Bangladesh Chhatra League leaders at the Shahbagh police station in the capital. The other two persons are the erstwhile police inspector (operations) of Shahbagh police station Md. Golam Mostafa and body guard of ADC Harun, Ali Hossain. The committee also mentioned many others were involved indirectly, said sources involved in the investigation.

The probe committee said this incident could have been avoided if the APS Azizul Haque did not hit ADC Harun physically out of suspicion, seeing him with his wife ADC Sanjida Afrin. Instead he could have informed the higher authorities of the police immediately. On the other hand, ADC Harun, despite being a member of a disciplined force, complicated the matter by thrashing BCL leaders at the police station, said the investigation. According to the investigators, the government was embarrassed with the whole affair. Moreover, the incident created awkwardness between BCL and the police.

On 9 September, two central BCL leaders were brutally assaulted at the Shahbagh police station due to an altercation about personal issues of Azizul and ADC Harun. Following criticism about the matter, Harun was temporarily suspended on 12 September.

After the incident, a three-member probe committee headed by Deputy Commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) headquarters, Abu Yusuf, was formed. The remaining two members of the committee are ADC Shahen Shah of Ramna Division and ADC Rafiqul Islam of Motijheel Division of Dhaka Metropolitan Detective Branch. The probe committee members visited the incident spot, reviewed the video footage of the incident and listened to the statements of ADC Harun, ADC Sanjida Afrin and her husband president's APS Azizul Haque and concerned BCL leaders.

ADC Shahen Shah, a member of the probe committee, said that everyone's responsibility has been determined separately in this incident. In response to a query, he told Prothom Alo on Thursday that the investigation report has not been submitted yet. It is in the final stage.

The probe committee says Azizul hit Harun upon finding him and Sanjida together at Ibrahim Cardiac Hospital (BIRDEM). That led to the unwarranted consequences.

Sources said that, during the incident, upon hearing his wife Sanjida was in the vicinity of the hospital, Azizul went to find her. He took with him two BCL leaders- central science affairs secretary and general secretary of Shahidullah Hall of University of Dhaka Sharif Ahmed (Munim) and central organising secretary and president of Fazlul Huq Muslim Hall Anwar Hossain (Naeem)- with him. They searched the vehicle of Sanjida in that area and found it in front of the BIRDEM General Hospital.

Then Azizur started searching for Sanjida inside the hospital at the cardiac department along with his driver Sajedur. Upon finding Harun he asked where Sanjida was. Harun showed him the ETT room. Then Azizul said to Harun, “Stop.” Harun said, “Let me leave.” While Harun tried to leave Azizul grabbed his shirt and brought him to the ETT room. Meanwhile Azizul summoned BCL leaders Sharif, Anwar and Sheikh Farid through his cellphone. They reached there promptly and started assaulting Harun in front of the ETT room. As a result, Harun’s glasses were broken and he was injured on his forehead. At one stage Harun was dragged inside the ETT room.

After a while the OC of Shahbagh Police Station and other police forces brought APS Azizul and BCL leader Sharif to the police station. As Anwar went there to know their whereabouts, ADC Harun, Shahbagh Police Station OC Golam Mostofa and Harun’s body guard assaulted him.

Investigation officers say that the incident happened regarding ADC Sanjida Afrin. She cannot escape the responsibility of the entire incident. On the other hand, ADC Harun, being a member of the disciplined force, instead of controlling the incident, made it more complicated. He cannot in any way beat anyone in police custody.

After the incident ADC Harun was suspended temporarily and OC Mostofa was withdrawn from that duty. No action was taken against APS Azizul Haque.

A probe committee of the ministry of home affairs has been working on the matter. DMP Commissioner Habibur Rahman said that action will be taken against those responsible based on the report of that committee. In a press conference on 2 October, in response to a question about APS Azizul Haque, the DMP Commissioner said, “The department where he belongs also will take action as per government regulations. I think the two involved are from government departments and both are cadre officers.”

A member of the committee of the ministry of home affairs told Prothom Alo on Thursday, they have almost wrapped up their work. They are expecting to submit the report shortly.

Minister of home affairs Asaduzzaman Khan told Prothom Alo, stern action will be taken against the people responsible regarding the matter.

According to the sources of the Ministry of Liberation War, based on a complaint, the National Freedom Fighters Council (JAMUKA) canceled the gazette and certificate of recognition of Azizul Haque's father Gausur Rahman as a freedom fighter. In the minutes of a meeting of JAMUCA in 2018 (59th), Gausur Rahman's son Azizul Haque wrote a petition to the minister seeking justice for the false and fabricated allegations brought by a freedom fighter maliciously due to personal enmity. After discussing this in the meeting, it was said that Gausur Rahman could not present any documentary evidence in favour of participating in the liberation war. So, everyone agreed on the cancellation of his gazette and certificate.

In a letter from the ministry on January 27, 2020, the Minister of Liberation War Affairs wrote, 'Gausur Rahman Khan is not a real freedom fighter. He did not participate in any war. His certificate and gazette were cancelled.

Later, the gazette of Gausur Rahman was reinstated on 16 June 2022 by the order of the court. Azizul Haque, an officer of the 31st BCS, got a job in Muktijoddha quota in 2013.

When asked regarding the matter, Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Haque told Prothom Alo, “Gausur Rahman's house is in my district. First, there was a discussion about him in JAMUKA and we canceled the gazette after a probe in the locality. But on the orders of the court, we reinstated it”