Himu's Death
Cops stuck at one arrest
Fifteen days after the death of Himadri Majumder Himu, an A-level student of Summerfield School and College in Chittagong, little progress has been made by the police enquiry into his death.
Only one accused has been arrested in this connection. Police, however, say that they have been trying their best.
The bereaved family members expressed doubts whether the administration was working freely to ensure justice.
Himu, 18, was taken to Farhad Mansion in Panchlaish Residential Area on April 27 allegedly by his friends. They beat him up there, unleashed dogs on him and allegedly pushed him off the fourth floor of the building centring drug peddling. He succumbed to his injuries at Square Hospital in Dhaka on May 23.
A day after the torture, his father Prabir Kanti Majumder lodged a general diary with Panchlaish Police Station.
Himu, the same day, in the hospital bed gave a description of the brutal torture he had faced.
Prakash Das Asit, a distant uncle of Himu, filed a murder case with Panchlaish police accusing Junaid Ahmed Riad, his father Shah Selim Tipu, the owner of Farhad Mansion, and Riad's friends Shahadat Hossain Shaju, Danny and Shaon.
Detective Branch (DB) of Police personnel so far arrested Shaju from Teknaf on June 2.
Yesterday, a group of rights activists visited the home of Himu and expressed sympathy towards the family members. Led by Rana Dasgupta, general secretary of Bangladesh Hindu-Bouddha-Christian Oikya Parishad, the team included Sara Hossain, honorary director of Bangladesh Legal Aid and Service Trust, Nijera Kari Coordinator Khushi Kabir and Subrata Chowdhury, a Supreme Court lawyer.
They also assured the family of keeping an eye on the proceedings and taking necessary initiatives.
The team later met Commissioner of Chittagong Metropolitan Police (CMP) Shafiqul Islam and urged him to arrest the accused immediately and prepare the charge sheet following proper investigation.
Asked about the delay in arresting the accused, the CMP commissioner told The Daily Star that the accused had been on the run since Himu's death.
“We are conducting regular drives to arrest the accused,” he added.
Himu's father Prabir, however, expressed frustration over the slow pace of police activity.
“It makes us question whether the administration is working sincerely and without any kind of pressure from influential quarters,” he told The Daily Star.
Meanwhile, leaders of Shikor, an anti-drug organisation with which Himu was involved, and Manobadhikar Kalyan Sangstha, a rights body, at a press conference at Chittagong Press Club yesterday sought assistance of the prime minister and the home minister for immediate arrest of the accused and ensuring exemplary punishment.
They also declared to form a human chain on June 13 and warned tougher agitation if the killers were not arrested soon.
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