Armed robbers inside residence of Weekly Blitz editor: Bangladeshi police reluctant in taking action against culprits
By: Steve Johnson
The housekeeper at the residence of internationally known award winning anti-Jihadist journalist and editor of Weekly Blitz was released from Dhaka Medical College Hospital in the afternoon of December 15, 2009 with four stitches in his ear, which was seriously injured with sharp knife by the armed robbers, who entered the residence during early hours of the day.
Subsequently, Executive Editor of Weekly Blitz, Sohail Choudhury went to Uttara Police Station to lodge a complaint about the incident. But, instead of recording the complaint, police simply forced him to write that those were thieves and the police also did not allow the executive editor to mention about the injury of the housekeeper.
Sub Inspector of Uttara Police Station, Ashraful Islam has been assigned as the investigation officer of the matter, though police never registered the complaint. Till writing of this report, none of the members of Bangladeshi law enforcing agencies visited the spot to further investigate the matter or to accord security and protection to the family members of the internationally known award winning journalist.
A number of senior officials of various law enforcement agencies were contacted by the Weekly Blitz editor, while none extended any sort of cooperation. The Weekly Blitz editor called the investigation officer over his cell phone and asked the reason of shifting the case into a mere theft attempt from robbery, while those intruders were all armed and seriously injured the housekeeper. The investigation officer told the editor that according to Bangladeshi law, if the number of miscreants is less than three, it cannot be termed as robbery.
The officer failed to justify the reason behind not letting the executive editor of the newspaper in mentioning about the armed men assaulting the housekeeper. He also failed to answer as to why necessary protections were not ensured at the residence of Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury.
The officer-in-charge of Uttara Police Station avoided all calls from the newspaper. It may be mentioned here that, Uttara area is the constituency of Bangladeshi Home Minister Advocate Sahara Khatun.
The entire country went inside grips of total lawlessness since the present government came in power. It was even reported on several occasions that members of law enforcing agencies were reluctant in taking any action against the criminals.
It may be mentioned here that, Weekly Blitz office was attacked by armed criminals on February 22, 2009. Despite lodging of a formal complaint, police did not take any action against the perpetrators nor did it ever tried to arrest those people responsible for the attack. It was learnt and even endorsed by the members of law enforcing agencies that, those attackers of February 22, 2009 incident were members of the ruling party and were enjoying support and blessings from influential figures in the ruling party.
Bangladeshi government and members of law enforcing agencies have not taken any measures in according proper security to Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury till writing of this report. It may be mentioned here that United States Congress passed a Resolution [HR64] in 2007 asking Bangladeshi government to ensure fullest security to Weekly Blitz editor Mr. Choudhury. Similar resolutions were passed in European Union Parliament and Australian Senate.
The matter of latest intrusion of armed robbers at the residence of Weekly Blitz editor is continuing to be published in international media. Several human rights groups and individuals in various countries are writing to Bangladesh embassies in their countries to immediately restore police protection at the residence of Mr. Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury. But ruling Awami League government is continuing to ignore all such appeals and resolutions.
It may be mentioned here that, Bangladesh earns billions of dollars from the export of textile products to United States, Europe and Australian markets. Despite such heavy dependence on Western countries, Bangladeshi authorities are ignoring the important case of Mr. Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury for reason unknown.
Development / Accra / Ghana / Africa / Modernghana.com