Retired army officers do not want a single more extrajudicial killing

The Retired Armed Forces Officers Welfare Association (RAOWA) do not want to see a single more extrajudicial killing in Bangladesh. Chairman of RAOWA, retired major Khandakar Nurul Afsar said, “Extrajudicial killings must be ended for once and for all. The police force must undergo reforms.”

Khandakar Nurul Afsar said, “The police are committing one incident after the other and no one was paying attention. If the supervision was correct, the police could not have been so arrogant. A wrong sense of confidence had grown within the police because they have not faced justice.”

He was speaking with the media at the Uttara home of retired major Sinha Md Rashed Khan, who was shot dead by police in Teknaf. The RAOWA leaders were calling upon Sinha’s mother Nasima Akhter and other members of his family at the Uttara house on Monday morning to offer their condolences.

Retired major Khandakar Nurul Afsar expressed satisfaction at the investigations into the killing of Sinha and said, “Sinha’s mother and sister as well as RAOWA are happy at the government’s attitude, the administration’s attitude that we have observed so far. But the Cox’s Bazar police super ABM Masud Hossain must be withdrawn.”

Khandakar Nurul Afsar said that retired major Sinha had been killed in cold blood. He said, “We want that not a single more such killing take place. The weapons of all the members of police involved in the Sinha killing must be seized. If the Sinha killing is brought to justice soon, then the souls of Sinha and other victims will find peace. No more mothers should lose their children.”

Major (retd) Sinha’s mother Nasima Akhter also said, “Let such extrajudicial killings end. Let no mothers lose their children.”

Sinha Md Rashed Khan was shot dead by police at 9:25pm on 31 July at the Shamlapur checkpost in Teknaf. Seven have been arrested in this case, including the officer-in-charge (OC) of the Teknaf police station Pradeep Kumar Das.

Speaking to newsmen, Nasima Akhter said at 11pm on the night that Sinha had been killed, the Teknaf OC Pradeep Kumar Das had phoned her asking for all sorts of information about Sinha, without revealing that Sinha had been killed. The next day here police men from the Uttara West police station came to her house and asked her all sorts of questions, but did not inform her of the killing. They asked her if Sinha was involved in politics.

Speaking about her son Sinha, Nasima Akhter said, “Sinha would take everyone as his own. He drew close to each and everyone. He would never use his professional identity to get any benefits. His behavior would win everyone over. I had given him that freedom. Sinha would say that nothing could be greater than to draw people close with one’s human qualities.”

She went on to say that Sinha was hardworking. She said, “He would say, ‘Power is here today, gone tomorrow. I will stay in people’s hearts, work for the people.’ He would believe in deeds rather than words. He wanted to travel the world. He used to plan everything with precision. He would think a lot about the next generation. I would support every venture of his. I was so proud of him.”

Sinha’s mother said he had gone to Cox’s Bazar to make a documentary film. He said it would be a surprise. He was into creative work.

Nasima Akhter is hopeful that they will get justice. She said, “My son would always say, be positive. I will say the same. The honourable prime minister, army chief and navy chief all assured me of their support. On behalf of every mother, I will say, let there be no more extrajudicial killings.”

Sinha’s sister Sharmin Shahria Ferdaus said, “I am proud to have had a brother like Sinha. I would call him the prince of hearts. He had proved that through his human qualities. The prime minister has assured us of justice, so we have just one appeal, that the investigations be carried out speedily and justice be done.”