Nusrat Killing: Negligence of 4 cops found

The committee formed by the Police Headquarters to probe the killing of Feni madrasa student Nusrat Jahan Rafi has found four cops, including a top district police official and former Sonagazi OC Moazzem Hossain, guilty of negligence.

A source close to the committee confirmed this, but refused to disclose the name of the district police official.

The probe report was finalised last night and the committee is likely to submit it to the inspector general of police today, said Deputy Inspector General SM Ruhul Amin, also the head of the five-member body.

The report blamed the governing committee of Sonagazi Senior Fazil Madrasa for not taking any action against Principal Siraj ud Doula despite allegations against him of sexually assaulting students, said the DIG.

The source also said the report mentioned about the allegation of Nusrat’s mother Shirin Akhter that she along with her son and Nusrat went to the office of Feni Additional District Magistrate PKM Enamul Karim on April 4 after filing a sexual harassment case against the principal on March 27. The magistrate expressed unwillingness to listen to them and warned them that they might have to face a defamation suit.

Contacted last night, Enamul, who was the president of the madrasa governing committee, said he rather thanked Nusrat’s family members for filing the case.

“I asked them to fight the legal battle sincerely. I do not understand how such allegations against me are being made,” he said.

The probe committee made two sets of recommendations -- one for the police and the other regarding the appointment of principals at schools, colleges and madrasas.

The committee formed on April 13 recommended that police officials should be more careful about making any comment on sensitive incidents, about talking particularly to the electronic media and carry out their duties with more responsibility.

It also suggested appointing principals after verifying the candidates’ character.

On April 6, a group of five unidentified people poured kerosene on Nusrat and set her afire at the Feni madrasa allegedly for refusing to withdraw the case against the madrasa principal.

The 18-year-old girl lost her battle for life on April 10 -- an incident that touched off outrage all over the country.

PHONES TO UNDERGO FORENSIC TESTS

A tribunal in Dhaka yesterday allowed the Police Bureau of Investigation to conduct forensic tests on two mobile phones of former Sonagazi OC Moazzem in connection with a case filed under the Digital Security Act.

The PBI, the investigation agency of the Nusrat murder case, seized the two phones on April 23, eight days after Supreme Court lawyer Syed Sayedul Haque Suman filed the case with the cyber tribunal in Dhaka.

Judge Ash SamsJoglul Hossain of the tribunal yesterday directed the PBI to submit its probe report by May 27.

He passed the order after Rima Sultana, senior assistant superintendent of PBI, submitted a petition seeking extension of the investigation time frame by 30 working days.

The case was filed against the then OC for recording a video of Nusrat without her consent and spreading the footage on social media.

In his complaint, the lawyer said Moazzem took the principal and two madrasa students, including Nusrat, to his office and cross-examined her.

The police official recorded on camera the questioning without Nusrat’s consent and later uploaded the footage on social media illegally.

In another development yesterday, two key accused in the Nusrat murder case -- Shahadat Hossain Shamim and Jabed Hossain -- were produced before the court of the Feni senior judicial magistrate by the PBI, seeking five-day remand for each. The court would hear the prayer on Thursday, said PBI Inspector Shah Alam, also the investigation officer of the case.

Besides, two witnesses in the case yesterday afternoon gave depositions before the same court. The two sold Burqas to the accused who used those to hide their identities.