OC Moazzem will be arrested soon, Quader hopes

Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader today expressed optimism that former Sonagazi OC Moazzem Hossain will be arrested soon.

“There is no lack of effort to arrest him from the government’s end,” he told reporters during a briefing on contemporary issues at his ministry.

Ex-Sonagazi OC Moazzem is currently “absconding” with an arrest warrant on his head in connection to the murder of Feni madrasa student Nusrat Jahan Rafi.

Responding to a query on how the police officer managed to flee, Quader said: “The government is in a strong position on this issue.”

“The prime minister is serious on this issue. You have seen that even our Sonagazi Awami League leader is behind bars in this case. There is no scope of weakness here. Maybe soon enough, Moazzem Hossain will be arrested,” he said.

Nusrat, a student of Sonagazi Islamia Senior Fazil Madrasa in Feni’s Sonagazi upazila, was set ablaze on April 6 allegedly for refusing to withdraw a case filed against the madrasa Principal Siraj Ud Doula for sexually harassing her on March 27.

Her death on April 10 triggered a national outrage.

Initially withdrawn for negligence, OC Moazzem was eventually suspended for his role in the incident. Later, probe found he video recorded the statement of Rafi and passed it on to someone else, which eventually found its way into the social media.

On April 15, Supreme Court lawyer, Barrister Syed Sayedul Haque Suman, filed the case with Dhaka Cyber Tribunal against Moazzem under the Digital Security Act for recording the statement of Nusrat, a victim of sexual harassment, on camera without her consent and circulating the video clip on social media.

On May 27, the tribunal issued an arrest warrant for Moazzem.

However, the police officer is reportedly on the run.