Please - Odhikar

ecommendations would be made to the higher authority to take departmental inquiry and
disciplinary measures against the policemen so accused and fuound guilty
The police have allegedly tortured Yousuf/Sadek Ali who was an activist of Awami League and
his family members. During the raid the police tortured the members of that family including the
old man and his wife as well. Moreover, they insulted a numbers of female members of that
family. But this incident was a sequel to Shariful's hiding inside the home because he was a
suspect in the Sadek murder case. Such brutal torture by the police without specific grounds or
warrant was a grievous violation of human rights. Assured by the neighbors and the police
officers to get justice, the victims had not lodged any case but they demanded punishment on the
policemen who were guilty of that crime. In the meantime the police officers had taken away
their agreement of compromise on the other hand, departmental inquiry has been started against
the police.
Youth killed in Police Custody in Homna, Comilla
Odhikar sent a fact-finding team to collect detailed information about the incident of the death of
a young man in Homna police station in Commilla. The incident was reported in different
national dailies on May 13, 2005 under the title, "Youth Killed in Homna Thana Custody in
Comilla". While finding facts on the incident Odhikar talked to the victim's family including his
mother and younger brother, the Upzila Nirbahi Officer (UNO), the Officer-in-Charge of Homna
Police Station and the local people.
During the fact-finding pursuit Odhikar came to know that there was a robbery in the house of
one Fazar Ali, near Homna Sadar are on May 10, 2005. Mr. Fazar Ali informed Odhikar that a
gang of 15/20 robbers robbed his house at around 1:30 am that night. Five to seven robbers
broke into his house by breaking windows and tied up Azizul Huq and Tajul Islam his two sons.
The robbers broke his wooden cupboard. They looted gold ornaments weighing 3240 grams and
taka five thousand and five hundred in cash. While leaving his house the robbers threatened him
saying that they would shoot him if he informed the police or lodged any case. Fazar Ali came to
know that on the same day the robbers planned to rob Raja Mia's dairy farm at Baghmara. Raja
Mia chased the robbers away with the help of other people. The robbers then hurled bombs in
order to flee but the locals were able to catch one of them. A troop of patrol police came to the
spot at around 3 am and took Hanif to the police station. They did not torture Hanif as long as he
was under their control. The police asked Fazar Ali, victim of the robbers to file a case on May
11, but he did not do it for fear of the robbers. On May 12 he came to know that Hanif, the
robber, hanged himself with his "lungi". But he did not see Hanif's dead body.
Raja Mia from Baghmara told Odhikar that he received a news of robbers looting some where at
Baghmara at 12:30 am on May 11. He was also informed that the robbers might be coming to
loot his dairy farm. On hearing the news he started towards his farm. On the way to the farm he
found the robbers in Fazar Ali's house. Then he gathered the people of the neighboring areas and
chased the robbers. They caught one of the robbers by the name of Hanif, half a kilometer off
Report 2005
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