Home ministry orders arrest of 10 more police officials

The Ministry of Home Affairs has given permission to arrest at least 10 more police officials who have been accused in several criminal cases centering the brutality and murder of students and people during the recent mass uprising.

The permission was given in a letter signed by the home ministry’s Senior Assistant Secretary Habibul Hasan.

Three of the cops, including Dhaka district additional SP Abdulahil Kafi, have already been arrested. The others who have arrest warrants against them are – former Dhaka district superintendent of police and former general secretary of Bangladesh Police Service Association Md Asaduzzaman, Dhaka district’s Savar circle additional SP Sahidur Rahman, Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s Wari Division former deputy commissioner Iqbal Hossain, Wari Division former additional deputy commissioner Sheikh Muhammad Shamim (SM Shamim), Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s Traffic Wari division’s former assistant commissioner Tanzil Ahmed, DMP’s Uttara Division’s former additional deputy commissioner Md Towhidul Islam, Chattogram’s Hathazari police stations’ former officer in charge and now assistant superintendent of police of APBn Uttara Rafiqul Islam.

The letter has already been sent to the inspector general of police, and police are now looking for their whereabouts.

According to sources within the police, these policemen went into hiding after the fall of Sheikh Hasina and did not join work. Sources said all these officers used excessive force to quell the protests and went beyond their professional duties.

According to the ministry sources, the permission for arrest has been given after a decision that there would be no arrest without proper investigations.

Earlier on 12 September, the Police Headquarters had issued a directive asking OCs across the country not to arrest any government employee, accused in cases filed in various courts and police stations over the recent mass uprising, without proper evidence and information.