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Deaths darken Rab image

STAFF CORRESPONDENT
An increasing number of deaths in the custody of Rapid Action Battalion (Rab), raids on the houses of people including retired army and police officials and alleged misbehaviour with their family members have prompted sharp reaction among members of the public.
In all cases of custodial deaths, the victims' family members alleged the Rab tortured them to death, an allegation Rab officials and the home ministry denied routinely.
According to press reports and
human rights and legal aid organisations, nine people have died so far in Rab custody or after arrest.
The nine include Sumon Ahmed Majumder, a witness to the killing of Awami League lawmaker Ahsanullah Master. Sumon's death sparked sharp criticism among people.
Alongside the custodial deaths, the Rab's recent midnight raid on the city residence of a retired lt. colonel on the basis of a faulty information drew criticism.
Against this backdrop, Rab chief Anwarul Iqbal at a meeting on Sunday said deaths in Rab custody will be investigated if autopsy or forensic reports show they were killed, and the persons responsible will be tried.
Senior lawyers at a seminar recently noted that police or Rab will be held responsible for any deaths in their custody.
The Rab was introduced to curb organised crimes and bring listed top criminals to book but the elite force appears to concentrate more on nabbing drug addicts, drug traffickers and sex workers.
An elite force's primary engagement in such operations has also raised questions about the objectives of its formation at a huge expense of public money.
Explaining this, the Rab director general however said all criminals have links to drug trade.
The home ministry recently empowered the Rab to take any criminal on remand. The step followed reported police refusal to allow Rab personnel to take to their office and quiz any person on police remand.
On July 10, officer-in-charge (OC) of Uttara Police Station Mirza Hassan Mahmud was 'closed' apparently for not handing over a remanded accused to the Rab.
Of the people who died in custody, Sumon Ahmed Majumder, who was vice-president of Tongi municipal ward No. 10 unit of Jubo League, died at a Tongi hospital on July 16 allegedly due to Rab torture during interrogation while in custody.
Rab arrested Debashish, an alleged accomplice of 'Pichchi' Hannan, at a clinic in Savar on June 26 and sent him to Dhaka Medical College Hospital
(DMCH) with leg injuries, where doctors declared him dead.
Shopkeeper Shajahan Ali of Mohammadpur died on July 9 at the DMCH a couple of days after Rab arrested him from Jigatola with a firearm.
Minar and Jumman of Charkuthipara at Kushtia town died at Kushtia General Hospital after Rab arrested them with firearms. Minar died on July 10 and Jumman on July 19.
Septuagenarian Tofazzal Hossain of Charkuthipara in Kushtia reportedly died as a (Rab) team threatened to drown him in a river on July 21.
On July 20 at midnight, a Rab team stormed into the residence of retired lt. colonel Sirajul Islam at New DOHS at Mohakhali on a tip off that criminals were hiding there but the whole exercise proved futile.
Family members of 'Pichchi' Hannan, who was on the police list of top 23 criminals, and the old deed writer of Rayerbazar, Mohammad Ali, also alleged that Rab members killed them.
Questions have been raised also about Rab's claim that 'Pichchi' Hannan died in crossfire as his daughter alleged that he was killed at the directive of a lawmaker of Dhaka.
Sources said had 'Pichchi' Hannan remained alive, activities of many political big wigs, who patronised him, might come to light leading to their arrest and trial.
Meanwhile, around two years back, top criminal 'Kala Faruq' was shot dead by police allegedly when he was fleeing from custody. He was reportedly a sidekick of an influential BNP minister and was killed at his directive.