NESCO suspends engineer harassed by BCL
The Northern Electricity Supply Company (NESCO) has temporarily suspended Engineer Rocky Chandra Roy, who was assaulted during an attack on a local power office in Kaliganj of Lalmonirhat. He has been accused of giving statements to the media unlawfully over the incident of attack and vandalisation.
An office order signed by Rahmant Ullah Al Faruk, deputy manager of the NESCO’s legal and company affairs branch, confirmed his suspension on Wednesday. He has been attached to the office of the chief engineer in Rangpur zone.
Meanwhile, NESCO’s Rangpur office assistant engineer Iqbal Asif Raji lodged a complaint in writing with Kaliganj police station over the incident on Thursday, 48 hours after the incident. However, he did not mention any name in the complaint.
Earlier on Tuesday, Kaliganj upazila unit president of Bangladesh Chhatra League, Shariful Islam, led an attack on NESCO’s sales and distribution office in Kaliganj. Several officials, including the executive engineer Rocky Chandra Roy, were physically assaulted during the attack.
Rocky Chandra Roy alleged that the attack was carried out as he did not meet district Awami League’s organising secretary Rakibuzzaman Ahmed at the office of Anwesha Shangskritik Goshthi, a local cultural organisation, at his call.
Rakibuzzaman Ahmed is the MP of the ruling party from Lalmonirhat-2 constituency and the son of social welfare minister Nuruzzaman Ahmed.
One of the office staff told Prothom Alo that they were also assaulted in the office. The assaulters hurled abuses at them, passed death threats, and created an environment of fear through vandalism.
“They drove us out of the office. Later, we put the office under lock and key and left the place,” he added.
In its complaint, the NESCO said some unidentified people entered the office of executive engineer Rocky Chandra Roy and vandalised furniture at around 2:00 pm on Tuesday. At one stage, they made an attempt to attack the executive engineer, but office staff Mazeda Begum obstructed them. She was also beaten up there.
Noticing the brawl, deputy assistant engineer Nur Muhammad came forward to save his colleagues, but received the same treatment. Later, the assaulters drove all officials and staff out of the office forcefully.
Iqbal Asif Raji, the complainant, told Prothom Alo on Thursday afternoon that the complaint was lodged with Kaliganj police station as per instruction of the high ups.
Asked, Iqbal expressed his optimism that the police will identify the attackers and take legal action against them.
Habibur Rahman, inspector (investigation) of Kaliganj police station, said an assistant engineer of NESCO lodged a written complaint at the court. Legal actions will be taken after looking into the incident.
Meanwhile, Zakiul Islam, managing director of NESCO’s Rajshahi office, visited the spot on Thursday. Later, he told the reporters that Rakibujjaman had no involvement with the attack. He was not present at the spot, he insisted.
Later, Zakiul Islam went to the office of Kaliganj upazila nirbahi officer. While talking to reporters there, he said a three-member probe body has been formed to investigate the untoward incident in the NESCO office. They will find out the attackers. Further action will be taken as per their investigation reprot.