Editorial
Death of a trader
Fallout gives rise to questions
THE tragic death of a trader in Bangshal raises some very important questions. Sabed Hasan, former president of Bangladesh Motorcycle Parts Merchants Association, died on Friday after falling from the first floor of his home while trying to evade arrest by the police. It is here that the story gets murky and raises once again questions about the role of the police in the difficulties citizens have lately run into. With reports of individuals dying in police custody recently making the rounds, it makes sense to ask why the police in Bangshal were trying to arrest Sabed Hasan at 1 a.m. Indeed, that there was a noticeable keenness among the police to nab the trader is made manifest by the fact that soon after a case was filed against him by the present president of the traders' association, the police went looking for him.
Hasan's family and other traders in the Bangshal area have alleged that prior to going out in search of Hasan, the police did not make any inquiry to verify the nature of the case. Indeed, the case was promptly recorded, the sad outcome being Sabed Hasan's unnatural and tragic end. We believe the matter calls for a thorough, impartial inquiry. It does not satisfy anyone, least of Hasan's family and fellow traders, that the officer in charge of Bangshal police station has stated that an investigation will be underway to ascertain the circumstances of Hasan's death. An inquiry is clearly necessary, of course. But given the reality in the present instance, such an inquiry must be initiated by people other than those employed at the Bangshal police station. Besides, the OC's plans for an inquiry do not convince anyone that the truth will emerge. And we say that because the local police have in their custody two members of Sabed Hasan's family who, as their relatives allege, are being tortured. Worse is the report that the male members of the family are on the run because the police are looking for them. The police, so the allegation goes, have implicated them in a case of snatching.
What we have here is a classic tale of harassment based on a case whose details have not been verified and the motives behind which remain unclear. It should have been for the local police to follow procedures before letting the entire episode turn into chaos. Sabed Hasan may not have died in police custody, but it is abysmally true that it was the police who pushed him to his death. That his family is yet in a state of fear is proved by the torment it is still going through. We note here IGP Nur Mohammad's pledge, made in Sylhet on Saturday, to take action against the individuals responsible for the recent deaths of individuals in police custody. We certainly hope that promise will translate into reality. Meanwhile, we demand that the death of Sabed Hasan and the role of the police in the harassment of his family in Bangshal be investigated swiftly and thoroughly.
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