Two policemen have been withdrawn from their duties and attached to the police lines in Sirajganj on charges of threatening the father of Bangladesh Women’s SAFF Championship-winning team member Akhi Khatun.
The penalised policemen are Mamunur Rashid, an assistant sub-inspector (ASI) at Shahzadpur Police Station, and Constable Abu Musa.
They went to Akhi’s father on Wednesday to get a court notice signed and allegedly “misbehaved” with him as he refused to sign it.
Reports of the incident in the media sparked a torrent of criticism.
Akhi said, “They told me over the phone that I have to go to the police station after I return home.”
Her father Akhter Hossain said, “I am neither the plaintiff nor the defendant in any case. I told the policemen ‘you talk to UNO sir or DC (district commissioner) sir’. Then they misbehaved with me. Another policeman said he will arrest me.”
Akhi’s elder brother Nazmul Islam said, “On Wednesday afternoon, a team including ASI Mamun from Shahzadpur Police Station came and informed my father that the court has imposed section 144 on the land the government had given to Akhi.”
They asked them to leave the place and threatened to arrest them if they did otherwise, added Nazmul.
Shahzadpur Police Station chief Nazrul Islam said a notice regarding the land came from court. ASI Mamun went to give the copy of the notice to Akhi’s father and got involved in a dispute after they asked him to sign on receiving it.
Meanwhile, Shahzadpur Upazila Executive Officer (UNO) Tariqul Islam, Additional Superintendent of Police (Shahzadpur Circle) Hasibul Islam and police station chief Nazrul met Akhi’s family on Thursday. They regretted the incident and greeted them with sweets.
The UNO Tariqul said, “Eight decimal of government-owned fallow land has been deeded to Akhi’s family. Still, a local filed a case in court claiming the land as his own.
“The assistant commissioner (land) is investigating the incident. Hopefully, the matter will be resolved once the investigation report is received.”
