Comilla South District Correspondent :
A complaint has been filed with the International Crimes Tribunal against seven people, including former minister Tajul Islam, in the kidnapping and disappearance of two BNP leaders from Laksam, Comilla. The complaint was filed by Golam Faruk, a resident of Fatepur village in Laksam Municipality, and the younger brother of missing BNP leader Md. Humayun Kabir. The complaint was filed by the plaintiff, Golam Faruk, a resident of Fatepur village in Laksam Municipality, to the Chief Prosecutor of the Tribunal on Wednesday (February 5). The complaint states that the two leaders, who were abducted 11 years and 2 months ago, have not yet been found.
The two leaders who were abducted are Laksam Upazila BNP President and former MP Md. Saiful Islam Hiru and Laksam Municipality BNP President Md. Humayun Kabir Parvez.
In the complaint filed with the tribunal, the other accused persons are former local government minister and former MP of Comilla-9 constituency (Laksam-Manoharganj) Md. Tajul Islam, former commander (CEO) of RAB-11 who went on compulsory retirement and Lt. Col. Tarek Sayeed Mohammad, who was sentenced to death in the Narayanganj seven murder case, Major Shahed Hasan Rajib of Company-2, who was in charge of the then Comilla camp of RAB-11, Deputy Assistant Director (DAD) Md. Shahjahan Ali, Sub-Inspectors (SI) Kazi Sultan Ahmed and Asit Kumar Roy, and the then officer-in-charge of Laksam Police Station Abul Khair.
Confirming the filing of the complaint, plaintiff’s lawyer Muhammad Badiul Alam Sujan said, “The complaint was filed with the Chief Prosecutor of the International Crimes Tribunal on Wednesday. The Chief Prosecutor has assured that he will investigate and take necessary action as soon as possible.”
Muhammad Badiul Alam said, “We believe that everything will come out only if the investigation is done properly. Because, after the disappearance of the two BNP leaders, a GD was first filed at the police station and later in the court, but no investigation agency has even questioned the accused once. Everyone has covered up the incident under pressure from influential people. Everything will come out only if Sayeed Mohammad and other accused are interrogated.”
According to the complaint filed with the International Crimes Tribunal and the family members of the two missing leaders, a joint force including RAB and police conducted a special operation in Laksam on November 27, 2013, during the ongoing BNP blockade program. At one stage, RAB members conducted a raid for about an hour at the business establishment ‘Laksam Flower Mill’ owned by the then Upazila BNP president and former MP Saiful Islam and arrested 9 people. On receiving the information, Saiful Islam, Municipal BNP president Humayun Kabir and the joint organizing secretary of the same committee Jasim Uddin left Laksam for Dhaka in an ambulance that night. When the ambulance carrying them reached the Alishwar area of ​​the Comilla-Noakhali regional highway, a group of people blocked the ambulance’s speed. Later, the speed bumps, posing as RAB members, beat the driver and helper, arrested the three BNP leaders, put them in another vehicle, and took them towards Comilla.
The complaint further states that at around 12:30 am that day, Jasim Uddin (who was in the ambulance) and the 9 people arrested in Laksam were handed over to Laksam police station by the then DAD of RAB-11’s Comilla branch, Shahjahan Ali. The next morning, the police sent them to jail through the court, showing them as arrested in a murder case. However, since then, no trace of BNP leaders Saiful and Humayun has been found.
Regarding the involvement of former minister Tajul Islam in this disappearance, the complaint mentions that Saiful Islam was a popular political figure and successful business leader in Hiru Laksam. Tajul Islam, the then local MP, was jealous of his popularity. Apart from that, all the programs called by the then opposition party were celebrated locally under the leadership of Saiful Islam and Humayun Kabir. This made Tajul Islam very angry. If Saiful Islam and Humayun Kabir were in the political field, it would have been very difficult for Tajul Islam to cross the political divide. Therefore, Tajul Islam wanted to remove the thorn in the path.
Regarding the complaint, plaintiff Golam Faruk said, “Although a case was filed in court in 2014, none of the police and CID who have investigated the case have even questioned the accused in the case. Because no one wanted the case to come to light. That is why they wasted time. In addition, the incident was covered up using political power. With the current change in the situation in the country, we are hopeful that all the secrets of this kidnapping and disappearance, which is being discussed across the country, will be revealed. We want justice for those involved. We want to know what happened to the two kidnapped leaders in the end.”
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