Investigation: TIB concerned at police role

The Transparency International Bangladesh has expressed grave concern over some law enforcers’ role in allegedly diverting case investigations and failing to safeguard suspects in their custody.

The graft watchdog also called for judicial investigations into the allegations of misusing power by the law enforcers in some cases, including Barguna’s Rifat murder, Feni’s Nusrat murder, and the recent rape of a fifth grader in Cox’s Bazar.

The credibility of local police has come under serious question following the allegation of forcing Rifat’s wife Aysha Siddiqa Minni, in collusion with an influential quarter, to give confessional statement about her involvement in the murder, the TIB said in a press release yesterday.

In the statement, TIB also expressed concern over police failure in providing necessary security to victims, their family members and key witnesses.

Noting that there is little opportunity to consider such allegations as “stray incidents”, TIB Executive Director Iftekharuzzaman said, “There is no scope for denying the allegations, and the time for confining these allegations to ‘departmental steps’ alone is over.”

If these allegations are overlooked, justice and rule of law guaranteed by the constitution will be at risk.