STAFF CORRESPONDENT

A serving police officer told a tribunal yesterday that a former superintendent of police of Barishal brought in two assistant sub-inspectors from a nearby police station to stage the 2015 “crossfire” killing of two BNP-linked local leaders after officers of Agailjhara Police Station refused to carry out the order.

Testifying as first prosecution witness before International Crimes Tribunal-2, police inspector Asim Kumar Sikder, then a sub-inspector at Agailjhara Police Station and now officer-in-charge of Barishal Sadar Naval Police Station, also said then-SP AKM Ehsanullah threatened to ruin their careers after they refused.

With the prosecution’s opening statement and Asim’s testimony, the crimes against humanity case against former Awami League lawmaker and chief whip Abul Hasanat Abdullah, Ehsanullah, and former Uzirpur Police Station ASIs Mahabul Islam and Jasim Uddin began yesterday.

Hasanat and Ehsanullah are absconding, while the two former ASIs have been arrested. Ehsanullah, who was later promoted to deputy inspector general, fled after the AL government was ousted on August 5, 2024.

The case relates to the deaths of Tipu Hawlader, 30, then joint secretary of Agailjhara upazila Chhatra Dal unit, and Kabir Mollah, 32, organising secretary of upazila

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