Eminent citizens condemn attack on Limon, his mother
Eminent citizens condemned the latest attack on Limon Hossain, who had to have his left leg amputated after being shot at by the Rapid Action Battalion on 23 March, 2011, and his mother and brother on Eid day and viewed the attack as a move to further harass the family.
Academics, jurists, activists, artists, writers and columnists denounced the attack by an informer of the battalion on the boy instigated by the police report which cleared the battalion of the responsibilities for shooting at Limon.
They thought that the final report the police submitted in the case on August 14, 2012 showing that the battalion is innocent had instigated the group into attacking him.
Limon on Wednesday submitted a letter to the Rajapur police seeking security for him and the family.
He also visited an ENT specialist, Abdur Rouf, in Barisal as he felt problems with his ear after being attacked on Eid day.
Abdur Rouf said that Limon’s left ear had been damaged as he had been hit in the ear and it needed further examination and long-term treatment, even a surgery, to recover.
‘We provided him with some medicine and suggested him to visit ENT experts again after two weeks if the condition does not improve by this time,’ he said.
Limon, his mother and brother were injured in the attack on the day of Eid-ul-Fitr by Ibrahim Hawladar, a local informer of the battalion, who is also a witness in the cases lodged by the battalion against Limon.
The fresh attack triggered stir among rights groups and activists. ‘We observe with grave concern that in order to conceal the state force’s [RAB] misdeeds, inhuman and unjust actions have continued. Instead of justice being ensured, Limon and his family are forced into danger and instability,’ reads the statement signed by 42 noted citizens.
‘We strongly condemn the attack by the battalion’s informer known as Ibrahim Hawladar. We demand justice and immediate arrest of the attacker. The highest tier of the security forces has to ensure security for Limon and his family,’ the statement said.
The statement came down heavily on the government saying, ‘The government is liable for the numerous wrongs done to Limon.’
‘The government’s actions have made the rule of law pledged in the Awami League’s 2008 election manifesto a matter of mockery,’ says the statement.
Hamida Hossain, Sara Hossain, Faustina Pereira, Shahidul Alam, Gitiara Nasreen, Anu Muhammad, Rahnuma Ahmed, Khushi Kabir, Shirin Haque, Farida Akhter, Taj Hashmi, Zafrullah Chowdhury, Naila Zaman Khan, Omar Tareq Chowdhury, Mushrefa Mishu, Zonayed Saki, Mac Haque, Arup Rahee, Kirti Nishan Chakma, Zakir Kibria, Nasim Akhter Hossain, Sayeed Ferdous, Mirza Taslima Sultana, Masood Imran, Sayema Khatun, Mahmudul Sumon, Nasrin Khandaker, Parveen Jolly Swadhin Sen, Md Alauddin, Sadaf Noor-E-Islam, Abdullah Al Mamun, Shipra Bose, Saydia Gulrukh, Mahbub Kabir and Hana Shams Ahmed were among the signatories.
Eid celebrations of Limon and his family were marred by the attack as well as the police report.
Now Hawladar is trying to have Limon and his family implicated in a murder case.
The Rajapur police officer-in-charge, Tofazzal Hossain, said that after attending Eid congregation, Limon was taking photographs of his family near his village home on the Saturia–Idurbari Road before returning to his rented house in the town of Pirojpur on Monday afternoon.
Suddenly Hawladar started jeering them and asked them not to block the road while taking photos. At one point, both sides became engaged in an altercation and Hawladar beat up Limon, he said.
When his brother and mother went to save him, Hawladar also beat them up, Limon’s brother Sumon said.
On receiving information, the police went to the spot and rescued the three.
Limon’s mother was admitted to Rajapur Upazila Health Complex and Limon and Sumon were given first aid, the police officer said.
Limon lodged a general diary on Monday night and as a counter move, Lily Begum, Hawladar’s wife, lodged another general diary on Tuesday.
Lily also alleged on Tuesday that Limon and his family had beaten her brother Md Forkan to death after he had tried to rescue her husband during the incident in the afternoon on Eid day.
The police recorded a case of unnatural death and sent Forkan’s body to Jhalakathi for a pst-mortem examination.
Mohidul Islam, the acting superintendent of police in Jhalakathi, said on Tuesday that necessary action would be taken in keeping with the post-mortem report.
‘Limon spent last Eid in hospital,’ Henora said. ‘We thought that all of us would celebrate Eid together at home this time.’
She said that Halim (police investigation officer) had secretly submitted the final report at night on August 14, claiming that the battalion personnel were innocent, without specifying who shot at my son in the leg.
Limon’s mother further said that the battalion’s informer was trying to have them implicated in the murder of Forkan, who died of a heart attack about half a kilometre from the place of Monday’s incident.
‘How much torture will we need to suffer? When will we be free? Is there anything the state can do for us?’ Limon said.
The battalion shot at Limon in the left leg at his village Saturia if Rajapur in Jhalakathi on March 23, 2011. Limon used to work at a brick kiln to pay for his educational expenses.
The battalion the same day filed two cases with the local police against Limon and seven others under the arms act and another for obstructing official duty, attempt at injuring and murdering battalion personnel.
The charge sheet in the first case against Limon and seven others was submitted on April 24, 2011 and the court posted for September 16, 2012 the date for framing charges after deferring it for the fourth time.
Besides, the police also secretly submitted a charge sheet against Limon and the same seven accused on July 1, 2012 in the second case and the date for charge hearing has been posted for September 2.
Henoara on April 10, 2011 lodged a case of attempted murder, severe injury and maiming against six battalion personnel with the Rajapur police.
But the police at first declined to register the case against the battalion but later it was registered on April 26 by a court order.
The investigation officer, without informing the complainant, secretly submitted the final report on August 14, declaring the accused battalion personnel innocent, and claiming that the police had found no evidence and witnesses in favour of the allegation and the magistrate, who received the report, posted for August 30 the date of the hearing.
The complainant, the victim and human rights activists rejected the police report and called for a ‘judicial investigation.’
The maimed Limon obtained bail from the High Court on May 5 and was released from the prison cell at Sher-e-Bangla Medical College on May 9.
The technical team of the Centre for Disability in Development at Savar in Dhaka fixed the artificial leg on him on August 29, 2011 and Limon went home on October 13, 2011.
-With New Age input
