Swedish couple get back money

A Swedish couple of Bangladeshi origin, from whom five Jessore policemen allegedly took away $3000 on Thursday, got back their money yesterday morning.

"A plainclothes man, who refused to disclose his identity, returned us the money at our Kalia house in Narail,” said Mizanur Rahman, a Bangladeshi-born Swedish engineer, who along with his wife was allegedly harassed by five Jhikargachha policemen on Jessore-Benapole road.

"The man asked me to write down on a piece of paper that I found the money in my bag. But I refused," he told The Daily Star.

The accused policemen were closed to the district police lines and a departmental probe was launched into the allegations against them, Additional Superintendent AKM Ariful Haque of Jessore police confirmed.

The five are Sub-inspector Ezazur Rahman, and constables Aziz, Babar, Mamun and Ziaul.

Ariful Haque said he knew about Thursday's incident but was unaware that the money was returned to the couple.

Describing the incident, Mizanur said he went to Benapole Land Port on Thursday by a hired car to receive his wife Khukumoni Parvin, a nurse in Sweden, who was returning from a relative's house in India.    

As the couple were on the way to their Narail house, five policemen stopped the car in Panchpukur area, about 20 kilometres from the land port, around 5:30pm.

"They started searching us and found $3000 in my wife's handbag. They told us that the money was illegal, as there was no endorsement of the amount on my wife's passport," said Mizanur.

"They became angry when I told them about the rule that endorsement was not needed for an amount below $5000."

At one stage, the policemen took away the money, said Mizanur.

"You actually clean dishes in Sweden... Everyone claims that he is an engineer," Mizanur quoted a policeman as saying when he identified himself as an engineer.

"It was a nightmare for me and my wife… We were frightened and left the place as they started threatening us," said Mizanur who has been living in Sweden for 25 years.

Around half-an-hour later, the couple stopped by Jessore Press Club and informed local journalists about the incident.

Mollah Khabir Ahmad, officer-in-charge of Jhikargachha Police Station, said no written complaint was filed over the incident.