STAFF CORRESPONDENT

A police officer yesterday told International Crimes Tribunal-2 that former Barishal superintendent of police AKM Eshanullah threatened officers that they would lose their jobs if they failed to arrest two BNP-linked leaders who were later killed in an alleged staged “crossfire” in 2015.

Inspector Nazrul Islam Mazumder, testifying in a crimes against humanity case, said the then SP also claimed there was pressure from former Awami League lawmaker Abul Hasanat Abdullah to arrest Agailjhara upazila Chhatra Dal joint secretary Tipu Hawlader and upazila Jatiyatabadi Samajik Sangskritik Sangstha organising secretary Kabir Mollah.

Quoting Eshanullah, Nazrul said, “You know the power of Abul Hasanat Abdullah. There is pressure and instruction from him to arrest the accused. If they are not arrested, nobody’s job will be safe.”

Nazrul said that while serving as a sub-inspector at Agailjhara Police Station, he and the then OC were summoned to the SP’s office and verbally abused for failing to arrest the two men.

He said the SP later sent a team, including him and a DB sub-inspector,

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