DIG Mizan yet to face action

Although Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Mizanur Rahman admitted that he had bribed a top ACC official, the authorities were yet to take any action against the much talked-about police official.

On Monday, the anti-graft watchdog suspended its director Khandaker Enamul Basir on charges of leaking information and breaching service discipline.

The move came after a private television channel aired a report in which Mizan alleged that Basir took a bribe of Tk 40 lakh from him for clearing him of graft allegation.

Although bribing someone is an offence, DIG Mizan was neither suspended by the home ministry nor did he face any formal steps from the police headquarters till last night.

Besides, a police headquarters probe last year found that the police offi-cial misused his power to make personal gains, an act which “tarnished the image of the police department as well as the government”.

“Such an act goes against police discipline,” said the probe report.

The probe was launched after allegations surfaced in January last year that Mizan, while serving as an additional commissioner of DMP, married a woman forcibly and tortured her.

At that time, a female news presenter of another private TV channel also alleged that Mizan had forced her into a car at gunpoint earlier on De-cember 12, adding that Mizan used to “disturb” her.

The Police Headquarters (PHQ) forwarded the probe report to the home ministry for the next course of action.

No action, however, has so far been taken against him.

In the wake of the allegations, Mizan was withdrawn from the DMP in January last year and attached to the PHQ.

Asked, Assistant Inspector General (media) at the Police Headquarters Sohel Rana yesterday said police investigated the allegations properly and sent the probe report to the home ministry long ago.

It is the ministry’s jurisdiction to take any punitive action, he said.

On the fresh charge against Mizan, Sohel said the allegation has come to the notice of the police headquarters.

“Officials concerned have been asked to start the primary investigation. Action will be taken as per the rules after scrutinising the matter,” he told The Daily Star.

Meanwhile, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan yesterday said action would be taken against Mizan for allegedly bribing the ACC official.

“Mizan gave bribe because he has some weaknesses. He will be brought to book,” he told reporters after a programme in the capital.

The home boss said investigation into DIG Mizan’s previous offences was underway.

Departmental proceedings against him are still going on and the ACC is looking into the other accusations, he said.

“Why has he [Mizan] given the bribe now? Definitely he has some weak-nesses … We’ll take action after verifying those,” Asaduzzaman  said.

He also said, “both taking and giving bribes are crimes. So he will defi-nitely be punished for this.”

Police Headquarters cannot suspend a DIG ranked official. This is under the jurisdiction of the home ministry, he added.

Yesterday, the ACC appointed another director, Manzur Morshed, to in-vestigate the allegation of amassing wealth by the police official.

In May last year, the ACC launched an enquiry into the DIG. 

The police official was later withdrawn as additional commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police. The ACC had tasked Basir with the enquiry into Mizan’s wealth.

OC MOAZZEM

Asked about the arrest of former Sonagazi Police Station officer-in-charge Moazzem Hossain over Nusrat’s murder, the home minister said all escape routes had been cut off.

“He can’t escape. He’ll be arrested soon,” he added.

A tribunal ordered the OC’s arrest on May 27 after investigators found allegations against him were true.

Supreme Court lawyer Syeddul Haque Sumon filed the case against Moazzem under the Digital Security Act on May 15.

The former OC interrogated Feni madrasa student Nusrat Jahan Rafi and recorded her statement on phone illegally. The video was later circu-lated on social media, also illegal under the ICT act.

Yesterday, at a crime conference at the PHQ, Inspector General of Po-lice Mohammad Javed Patwary asked all concerned to take proper legal action against OC Moazzem.

“An all-out effort is on to arrest him,” said an official.

Meanwhile, police have raided the house of OC Moazzem in Chachara Dalmi Raipara area in Jashore Town on Sunday night, locals said. Police, however, denied carrying out any raid.

Nusrat, a student of Sonagazi Islamia Senior Fazil Madrasa, was set ablaze on April 6 allegedly for refusing to withdraw a case filed against the madrasa principal for sexually harassing her. After fighting for her life for five days, Nusrat succumbed to her injuries at Dhaka Medical College Hospital.

The incident caused an outcry across the country.