Former OC Moazzem Hossain flees

After a week of dilly-dallying, the police now say that former officer-in-charge (OC) of Sonagazi police station in Feni, Moazzem Hossain, has fled, with a warrant of arrest issued in his name.

Police of both Feni and Rangpur have confirmed that the arrest warrant had been received.

Deputy inspector of police of the Rangpur range, Debdas Bhattacharya, said that the arrest warrant had reached Rangpur, but Moazzem was absent from his post, without prior permission. The warrant was then sent on to the OC of Sonagazi police station. The rules hadn’t been followed in sending the warrant to Rangpur and he will ask the Feni police to adhere to the rules, Debdas Bhattacharya said.

The cyber tribunal in Dhaka issued a warrant against former OC Moazzem Hossain on 27 May under the Digital Security Act. On 31 May the warrant reached the office of the police super in Feni. However, the police super Kazi Munir-uz-Zaman repeatedly denied the matter. Finally on 3 June he admitted that he had received the warrant. Two days after that the warrant was sent by special courier to the Rangpur range. Now the Rangpur range says that this was not in accordance to the rules.

Moazzem Hossain took full advantage of these delays and has fled. His mobile phone had been in operation all these days, but was shut off from yesterday, Saturday.

A case against Moazzem Hossain was filed by Supreme Court lawyer Syed Sayedul Huq in connection to the murder of Sonagazi madrasa student Nusrat Jahan.

Syed Sayedul Huq told that the inspector general of police (IGP) could have taken steps himself in this regard as the case was a sensitive one, but he did not.

He said, let us see what the police do since they have admitted that the warrant has reached both Feni and Rangpur. He appealed to the people, “Hand OC Moazzem over the the police if you see him anywhere.”

A group of students of a madrasa in Sonagazi set fire to madrasa student Nusrat Jahan in an attempt to kill her after she had approached the Sonagazi police station to complain against the madrasa principal Siraj-ud-Dowla for sexually harassing her.

OC Moazzem Hossain had harassed Nusrat by asking her objectionable questions during interrogation and uploaded the video of this on social media.

When a case was filed under the Digital Security Act in this regard, the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) took up investigations into the matter. They submitted the charge sheet of the case to the court on 27 May and the warrant of arrest was issued on the same day.

Two days after the warrant, Moazzem Hossain appealed to the High Court for bail. The hearing of the appeal is scheduled for 11 June.

Supreme Court lawyer Shahdeen Malik, speaking to Prothom Alo, said it is the responsibility of the Rangpur range police to arrest Moazzem Hossain and bring him before the court because his last posting was in Rangpur. Since he is away from his post without permission, he is a fugitive. The police can arrest him anywhere. They can even arrest him if he turns up in court for the hearing of his bail appeal.

Source: Prothom Alo