Lawmaker snatches 'criminal' from Rab

Awami League lawmaker from Natore-2 Shafiqul Islam Shimul snatched away “a criminal” from Rab custody immediately after his arrest in Natore town on Tuesday night.

A number of local AL leaders and journalists witnessed the incident.

They yesterday said Shimul, also general secretary of Natore district AL, and his men got into an altercation with Rab personnel, shouted at them and then took away Redwan Sabbir in handcuffs. 

Sabbir, who gained notoriety for his criminal activities in Natore, is wanted in at least a dozen cases, according to local police and AL activists.

Around 8:00pm, a Rab team led by its Baghmara Camp Commander -- Assistant Superintendent of Police Atiqul Islam -- went to Kanaikhali Old Bus Stand by a pick-up van and a microbus.

Wearing jackets inscribed with the word “Rab”, they arrested Sabbir while he along with some of his associates was loitering in front of a building at Kanaikhali.

As the Rab men put handcuffs on him, he shouted seeking help from his men.

At that time, MP Shimul, former AL lawmaker Ahad Ali Sarker, Natore Deputy Commissioner Moshiur Rahman and several AL leaders were attending a programme organised on the occasion of the first anniversary of local daily Dainik Uttarkantha at its office on the building's second floor.

“Some supporters of MP Shimul interrupted the programme and informed him about Sabbir's arrest. The MP then came downstairs and asked the Rab officer why they had arrested Sabbir,” one of the witnesses told The Daily Star over the phone, seeking anonymity.

An angry Shimul told the Rab officer that he would complain against him to the prime minister, according to the witness.

A large number of Shimul's supporters shouted at the Rab personnel, pushed them and snatched Sabbir in a few minutes. They then took him to a room inside the building and kept guard there.

The Rab team stayed put, and its officer kept telling the MP that they had arrested Sabbir and couldn't leave the place without taking him.

Many onlookers took photos and videos of the episode that lasted for around 15 minutes. The Daily Star obtained several video clips in which the MP and the RAB officer were seen arguing over the arrest.

The MP's men, including Organising Secretary of district AL Malek Sheikh and ex-general secretary of district Sramik League Mortuza Ali Bablu, kept shouting at the Rab personnel.

Finally, the Rab team left the scene around 9:00pm without the detainee.

The lawmaker went back to the programme, gave a brief speech and left the venue along with Sabbir, who was spotted without handcuffs at that time, said witnesses.

It couldn't be known how he got rid of the handcuffs.

Interestingly, Rab officer Atiqul later denied arresting Sabbir, and described the argument between him and the lawmaker as a misunderstanding.

“We arrested a criminal named James from Chhayabani Cinema area around 7:00pm and handed him over to police at 8:15pm,” he told The Daily Star yesterday.

“He [Sabbir] is a big criminal in Natore town. He might have fled when we caught James. But there were rumours that Sabbir had been arrested,” said Atiqul.

Asked why he had such a long argument with the lawmaker and his men, he claimed that plainclothes Rab members went there for a recce.

“We didn't know that the lawmaker was attending a programme there. He came down to the ground floor thinking that we went there to detain his men. When I gave him my identity, he understood the whole thing,” he said in stark contrast to what was seen in the video clips.

Atiqul said he didn't even know whether Sabbir was there.

Shimul, who became a lawmaker through the January 5 parliamentary elections, could not be reached despite repeated attempts.

Natore Superintendent of Police Shymal Kumar Mukherjee said he was on leave when the incident took place, but he had heard about it.

Contacted over the phone, DC Moshiur said he was on the second floor at the time of the incident. He heard that the Rab men were trying to arrest a person but the man escaped.

“I don't know whether he was a criminal or an accused in any case,” he added.

Officer-in-Charge of Natore Sadar Police Station Mizanur Rahman said arrest warrants had been issued against Sabbir in at least three cases.

Seeking anonymity, a local Jubo League leader said Sabbir -- a member of the convening committee of Natore municipality unit Jubo League -- got close to Shimul after the latter became a lawmaker. And Sabbir was seen with the MP in many programmes in Natore.

On condition of anonymity, a local BNP leader said Sabbir was previously an activist of Jubo Dal.

Former Natore Jubo League president Shariful Islam Ramjan said it was unexpected that a lawmaker would do such a thing to free “an identified criminal” just because the man was his follower.

“I heard that the lawmaker snatched him away. It was an act of interference in law enforcers' activities. This will hurt the image of the government,” Shariful, also Natore Sadar upazila chairman, told The Daily Star over the phone.

He alleged that people of Natore were upset by Sabbir's criminal activities, including extortion and kidnapping for ransom.

Talking to The Daily Star yesterday, several local reporters said Tuesday's incident was not reported in any local or national media as journalists in Natore remained mum for fear of reprisal.

The journalists alleged that they got threats from Shimul's men, who warned them not to file any report on the incident.