Radda health centre vandalism: Expelled BNP leaders among those involved

According to sources involved in the investigation, leaders and activists recently expelled from Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and its affiliated and associate organisations are among those involved in the attack and vandalism at the Radda MCH-FP Centre, a mother and child healthcare facility in Mirpur, Dhaka.

The sources also claim that, besides those recently expelled, information has also emerged about the involvement of several former local leaders and activists of the party. Police say they have identified those who ordered the attack, but have not yet been able to arrest them.

The health centre was attacked, vandalised and looted around midnight on 24 September. From the outset, many local leaders and activists of BNP and its affiliated and associate organisations were accused of being involved. Many of them were known to be close to resigned reserved-seat MP Ferdousi Ahmed (Misti). Amid discussions and criticism over the matter, she resigned Thursday, a week after the incident.

The previous day, Wednesday night, 14 people from different levels of BNP, Chhatra Dal, Swechchhasebak Dal and Sramik Dal were expelled. However, the party statement did not mention the attack on Radda. It cited allegations of activities contrary to party discipline and unethical conduct as the reason for their expulsion.

Several party sources said the measures were taken in connection with the attack on the health centre.

Sources involved in the investigation said the people involved in the attack had been identified through CCTV footage from the scene and surrounding areas, mobile phone data and information from local sources. Almost all of them are local leaders and activists of BNP and its affiliated and associate organisations.

They are also linked to the ‘Somomona Dokandar Samabai Samiti Limited’ (a cooperative society of shopkeepers), whose signboards

According to sources involved in the investigation, five of the 14 expelled individuals were found to have been involved in the attack.and banners were put up after the health centre was demolished.

They are: Shah Ali Thana BNP joint convener Khalil Chowdhury, C Block unit BNP general secretary Anwar Hossain, Darus Salam Thana Ward no. 93 Chhatra Dal member secretary Shanto Rahman, Shah Ali Thana Autorickshaw Sramik Dal member Huzaifa, and Darus Salam Thana Swechchhasebak Dal member secretary Hafizur Rahman. Police have been unable to arrest them despite conducting several raids.

Hassan Mohammad Naser Rikabdar, deputy commissioner of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s Mirpur division, told Prothom Alo that those who ordered the attack had been identified. “Their names and identities are not being disclosed in the interest of the investigation. Efforts are underway to bring them under the law,” he said.

Law enforcement agencies have so far arrested 15 people in connection with the attack, vandalism and looting at the health centre. They were arrested over the past week.

Local political sources said one BNP leader and one Sramik Dal leader are among those arrested. They were arrested on Wednesday night. One of them, Saiful Islam Khokon, 48, is a member of Shah Ali Thana BNP, while the other, Md Alam, 53, is president of Shah Ali Thana Ward no. 8 Sramik Dal. However, as of Thursday night, the party had taken no decision regarding them.

Sources involved in the investigation said the two men were directly involved in the attack. Their presence at the scene has been confirmed. In addition, four members of the ‘Somomona Dokandar Samabai Samiti Limited’, under whose banner the attack, vandalism and looting took place, have been arrested. They include the cooperative’s secretary, Shah Alam, and office assistant Shahadat. The other two are cooperative members Atikur and Kamrul.

Police have also arrested Shahidul Islam, 40, the driver of the low-bed truck that transported the excavator used to demolish the health centre. The excavator used in the vandalism was recovered from Hemayetpur. Investigators are trying to confirm the identities of those who rented the excavator.

Besides, three of those arrested are vagrant young men who are often seen around the Shah Ali Mazar area. According to investigators, they took part in the vandalism in exchange for money. Detailed information about the remaining five has not yet been confirmed.

A case was filed on 25 September over the attack, vandalism and looting at Radda MCH-FP Centre, an organisation providing healthcare to disadvantaged and low-income people. The case was filed with Shah Ali police station by the organisation. It names former Dhaka North City BNP member Mohammad Hanif Mia and 250 unidentified others as accused.

Details of the incident that night were gathered by speaking to local residents, traders and police. Before the attack around midnight on 24 September, many of those involved gathered in front of the offices of former Shah Ali Thana Chhatra Dal convener Abul Kalam Azad alias Lenin and BNP leader Hanif Mia, who is named as an accused in the case. They later went from there to attack the health centre.

At around 12:05 am on the night of the incident, people were seen gathering in front of Lenin’s office beside the B Block field, as seen in the footage from a nearby CCTV camera. Footage from various markets adjacent to the health centre also showed a white microbus moving around the area during the incident.

During the attack and vandalism, Hanif Mia, Abul Kalam, former member secretary of Dhaka North City Jubo Dal Mustafa Jaglul Pasha alias Papel, Darus Salam Thana Swechchhasebak Dal member secretary Hafizur Rahman and several others gave instructions. They drove around the area near the scene in a white microbus, giving directions.

Sources concerned further said the attackers came from in front of Abul Kalam’s and Hanif’s offices, and collected sticks, machetes, hammers and other locally made weapons from a location near the Chhinnamul Market adjacent to the health centre. Before heading to the health centre, they tied cloth around their heads and wore masks. Shah Ali Thana Chhatra Dal joint general secretary Awlad Hossain and Ward no. 93 BNP joint convener Md Ilias were present at the scene.

Investigators claim they have obtained information about who supervised the attack from the white microbus. They will be arrested, they said.

Hassan Mohammad Naser Rikabdar, deputy commissioner (DC) of the DMP’s Mirpur division, told Prothom Alo, “A neutral investigation into the vandalism at the health centre is underway. Whoever is involved will be brought under the law. We will consider them as offenders, regardless of their political identity. We are working accordingly.”