Police Outpost Looting In Baufal
Case against ex-BNP MP being revived after 35 years
The sensitive Dhulia police outpost looting case against former BNP lawmaker Shahidul Alam Talukder is being revived about 35 years after the incident. Shahidul, also secretary of Baufal upazila BNP, was elected from Patuakhali-2 (Baufal) constituency in 2001 election. He is in Patuakhali jail, serving a 10-year prison term in an arms case. The verdict was delivered on August 16. Intelligence officials are collecting information on the police outpost looting incident to revive the case, a high official of intelligence department told this correspondent yesterday. “We are collecting information on the sensitive Dhulia police outpost looting case and several other cases against Shahidul,” he said seeking anonymity. “Intelligence officials collected records of the police outpost looting case and copies of several GD's filed against Shahidul from Baufal police station on Monday”, the official said. “'We will submit a report on the case and alleged corruption by Shahidul this month to higher authorities”, he said. Meanwhile, Shahidul's main aide Kazi Fariduzzaman Tipu was suspended on September 4 from the post of Baufal municipality chairman by local government ministry for his alleged involvement in the police camp looting incident. The ministry decision was taken following a report by law enforcing agencies, the sources said. An armed gang numbering 25 to 30 allegedly led by Shahidul attacked Dhulia police outpost in Baufal upazila on the night of July 11 in 1973. They killed three policemen including Subedar Khalilur Rahman and looted four out of 22 rifles. Next day, Constable Solim Uddin of the police camp filed a case (no- 371/73) with Baufal thana, accusing 21 people including Shahidul and Tipu. Police later recovered all four looted rifles and arrested Shahidul. But Shahidul got bail from a court and joined Jagodal, a political party floated in late 70s by former president Ziaur Rahman. The police camp looting case was withheld after he joined Jagadal, police and other sources said. When H M Ershad came to power, Shahidul joined Jatiya Party and was elected Baufal upazila chairman. After fall of Ershad, he joined BNP in 1991, Detective Branch officials said showing records. Shahidul started his life as an alleged pirate leader on Tetulia river in Baufal. He formed an armed gang named Talukder Bahini. He also faces another case for allegedly keeping relief goods, filed on February 17. Several GDs (General Diary) were also filed against him with Baufal police station for allegedly assaulting officials, journalists and some members of the minority community, police sources said. He was on the run since January 11 after proclamation of emergency. He surrendered before a Patuakhali court on July 29. On May 29, 2004, Shahidul assaulted ASM Feroz, former Awami League lawmaker from the same constituency, at Upazila Nirbahi Officer's (UNO) office. He also assaulted Kazi Hanif, Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Baufal police station on October 7, 2004 at his office room. The OC filed a GD (no. 205) with Baufal police station but the record was missing from the GD book after Hanif was transferred. Kamruzzaman Bachu, local correspondent of daily Janakantha, filed a GD (no. 208) with Baufal police station on May 8, 2002 against Shahidul as he threatened him for a report published in the daily. Paris-based international organisation Sans Frontiers (RSF) has listed Shahidul as a person who 'tortured' journalist. Joint forces demolished Shahidul's three-storied market cum residence at Kalishuri Bazar in Baufal upazila as it was built on 1.5 acres of encroached government land, official sources said Joint forces raided his residence at Baufal town on February 16 and recovered two magazines of a pistol, two pistol covers and some relief goods including 19 pieces of Sharee, 18 pieces of T-shirt, 9 blankets and four sacks of sports goods. SM Miazur Rahman, OC of Baufal police station, filed two cases, one of them under the Arms Act. Shahidul was given 10 years imprisonment in the arms case.
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