HC directs govt, police
The High Court yesterday issued a set of directives upon the government to stop abduction and maiming of children and forcing them into begging on the streets of Dhaka.
The HC also directed the government to immediately suspend Sub-inspector (SI) of Kamrangirchar police station Nurul Alam for trying to save a gang involved in maiming seven-year-old Neyamul in their attempt to engage him in begging.
The HC bench of Justice AHM Shamsuddin Chowdhury Manik and Justice Sheikh Md Zakir Hossain also ordered the police to immediately stop begging in the capital.
The bench issued the orders after hearing statements of Neyamul and his father Umed Ali of Ashrafabad in Kamrangirchar and officials of police and Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) in an open court yesterday.
Umed Ali told the judges SI Nurul Alam, also investigation officer of Neyamul’s case, tried on behalf of the accused to settle the matter off the court offering him a two-katha plot and Tk 2 lakh.
Umed said the accused including Shariful Islam, also known as Korban, who was arrested in December last year on charge of maiming Neyamul, made the offer through Nurul Alam.
The higher court yesterday asked the inspector general of police (IGP) and the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) commissioner to immediately take departmental proceedings against Alam.
It directed both the IGP and the DMP commissioner to engage a senior official with the rank of superintendent of police or deputy director of Rab to investigate the incident of chopping off Neyamul’s genitals.
Following newspaper reports on Neyamul, the bench on January 2 expressed its concern and issued a suo moto rule on the government to stop such incidents.
The court yesterday ordered Nurul Alam to appear before the bench today along with Al Amin, who filed a case with Kamrangirchar police against Umed on charge of abducting Korban.
The court observed that Al Amin filed the “false” and “fabricated” case against Umed to save Omar Faruk, head of the gang liable to abduct and maim children, and his accomplices Ramjan, Russell, and Saddam.
It asked the director of Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) to form a medical board to treat and cure Neyamul’s wounds.
The judges yesterday heard the statement of Rab Legal and Media Wing Director Commander M Sohail, who said the gang led by Omar Faruk is involved in kidnapping and maiming children of low-income group. They use those children to earn money through begging on city streets, he added.
Sohail told the court the gang members also abduct and rape young girls in Kamrangirchar and force them into prostitution to earn money.
The bench asked Nurul Alam as to why he did not pray to the court for taking Korban on remand in the case. Alam said he did not pray to put Korban on remand since he (Korban) was sick due to “torture” in Rab custody.
As the court asked Alam whether he had a medical certificate to prove Korban’s sickness, Alam said he had none.
The bench asked the government to come up with information about progress in implementing its directives by January 18.
Senior lawyers Dr M Zahir, advocate Habibul Islam Bhuiyan and advocate Alena Khan, chief executive director of Bangladesh Human Rights Foundation, who were present, said tough action should be taken against the culprits who are engaged in such inhuman activities.
The court appreciated the Rab for properly investigating the case and taking action in this regard.
Deputy Attorney General ABM Altaf Hossain represented the government.
