3 suspended for not aiding fellow cops

The police yesterday suspended three constables of Industrial Police-1 for "not helping their colleagues" when they were attacked at a checkpoint in Ashulia on Wednesday.

Unknown assailants hacked constable Mukul Hossain to death and constable Nur-e-Alam severely at Baroipara checkpoint on the Dhaka-Tangail highway. While leaving the scene, the criminals fired two bullets.

Apel Mahmud, Pinaruzzaman and Imran Aziz will be off duties until an investigation into the attack completes, said Kawsar Sikdar, deputy director of Industrial Police-1 in Ashulia. 

Allegations have come up that the trio did not go to the rescue of the victims, rather they fled the scene.

If they are found guilty, they will be punished, Kawsar said, adding the authorities would, however, consider the situation before taking action against them.

The five constables were carrying Chinese rifles and shotguns but those were not loaded, said police.

An administrative committee has been interrogating the three suspended cops, Kawser said.

Following the incident, the authorities also suspended Sub-inspector Habibur Rahman of Ashulia Police Station for "negligence" in duty.

According to Ashulia police, Habibur, who was on duty overnight, was supposed to stay at the checkpoint until another one took over the charge from him. But he left the place earlier leaving five constables without an officer to command.

SI Ekramul Haque of the same police station, who was supposed to take over the duty in the morning, was on his way to the checkpoint when the attack took place. 

NO HEADWAY IN PROBE

Four days into the attack, investigators could not make any breakthrough in the probe, let alone arresting anyone.

Investigating officer Dipak Chandra Saha, officer-in-charge of Ashulia police, said they were still working on the case. A probe body comprising officials of Dhaka range has been helping him with the investigation, he added.