Hosni Dalan attack: Let there be a reinvestigation
In 2015, militants bombed a mourning procession in the capital's Hosni Dalan, killing one person and injuring hundreds more. The violence was aimed at disrupting Shia religious ceremonies and spreading panic in public life. However, the main culprits of this heinous terrorist incident remained untried due to the negligence of the investigating officer.
Judge Mojibur Rahman of the Special Anti-Terrorism Tribunal in Dhaka on Tuesday said that the police investigating officer Shafi Uddin Sheikh had made a grave mistake in investigating the case of militant attack on a mourning procession at Hosni Dalan. He has utterly neglected his responsibilities. For this reason, the masterminds and attackers of this attack have not been tried. Two accused, Kabir Hossain alias Rashed alias Asif and Arman alias Monir, have been sentenced to 7 years and Arman to 10 years in prison. Six of the eight accused have been acquitted.
A review of Kabir and Arman's confessional statements shows that Albani and Noman were the masterminds of the attack. The investigation officer mentioned in the report that the duo was killed in a gunfight before getting arrested. However, he did not mention of the source of information in the report. On the other hand, Chan Mia, Omar Farooq, Ahsanullah and Shahjalal have been accused without any evidence. The court rightly said that the four had suffered harassment and mental distress due to the whims of the investigating officer.
Media reports often reveal mistakes and negligence of the officials involved in the investigation of the case. The reason is not unknown. In most cases, the investigating officers submit incomplete and untrue reports under the influence of any party. If the investigation is not correct, then the trial of that case cannot be correct, as the judge of the case of attack on Hosni Dalan also said. A few years ago, a jute mill worker named Jahalam was sentenced to three years imprisonment for negligence of the investigating officer. A case of embezzlement of Sonali Bank money was filed in his name. In this regard, the High Court also ordered to pay compensation to Jahlam.
The four people who were harassed unnecessarily in the attack on the Hosni Dalan should also be compensated. After the confessional statement of the accused, the investigating officer should have informed the court about the planner and the attacker. But he did not reveal the matter. It is important to find out if there is any other mystery behind this.
It is not uncommon for mistakes to be made in investigations. If there is a mistake, the remedy is to re-investigate. Innocent people will be in danger due to the mistake or negligence of an investigating officer and the criminals will get away, which is unwarranted. Taking into account the remarks made by the honourable judge regarding the investigation, it is necessary to conduct another investigation into the case of attack on the Hosni Dalan.