Complainants find it difficult to enter Teknaf police station

Zahir Uddin, hailing from Hnila union, went to the Teknaf police station with a court instruction on Friday morning, but he could not enter the police station till four in the afternoon. 

"I am in trouble with a piece of land.  The court ruled in my favour and instructed the police to recover the land, but the police are not doing anything. And now I can't enter the police station.  I have been sitting for eight or nine hours," Zahir told The Business Standard before he was allowed to enter the police station.

There were many other complainants like Zahir, but no one could enter the police station as it main gate was closed.

A member of Ansar from the other side of the gate was telling everyone not to enter the station. 

The main gate of the Teknaf Police Station has been closed for at least seven days after the murder of Major (rtd) Sinha Md Rashed Khan, said a resident of a house near the police station.

Some locals surmised that the policemen fear that they could become victims of mob lynching, although seven policemen including Officer in Charge of Teknaf police station Pradip Kumar Das "surrendered" over the incident.

"Anything can happen at any time, public of this area are getting more furious day by day," said a policeman from the station, on condition of anonymity.

Our reporter on Friday found out that almost no one was leaving or entering the police station except for a few men to bring food or carry out some other necessary duty.

Besides, there was police presence at Baharchhara Shamlapur check post but after that incident of Major Sinha's death, BGB members were present there. 

A number of tea vendors in Teknaf Bazar told The Business Standard that the policemen used to drink tea in the shops at normal times, but they have not been coming to the shops since Sinha's murder. 

Retired Major Sinha Mohammad Rashed Khan was allegedly shot dead by police on July 31.

The police members were allegedly not cooperating with any case or general diary (GD) either. Rather they are telling everyone to come to the police station when the situation becomes normal.

One of such complainants was Abul Hossain, who came to the police station to file a GD for his stolen mobile phone, but he was not allowed to enter the police station. 

Three hours after he arrived at the police station, a policeman filed a copy of Abul's GD, but he was still not allowed to enter the police station.

In another case, Chenuara Begum, wife of Abdul Jalil who was killed in an alleged crossfire in late April this year, has been roaming around the police station for the last four days. 

She wanted to file a murder case over her husband's death, but she too was not allowed to enter the police station. 

Chenuara said, "They killed my husband a few months after he was taken away by the police. After he was taken away, I complained to the SP's office but it was not resolved."

"If the SP had taken cognizance of my complaint then I would not have had lost my husband.  But OC Pradeep took Tk5 lakh from me and killed my husband.  Is there no justice in this country?" asked Chenuara. 

Meanwhile, when asked about the matter, Sub-Inspector Sanjay Dutt, who is currently in charge of the police station, told this report that the allegation about barring from entering the police station was not right. 

"I have taken a few GDs even today," claimed Sub-Inspector Sanjay Dutt. 

But when this reporter mentioned the names of a few people who came to seek services from the police station but failed, the sub-inspector hung up the phone without saying anything.  He also did not answer how many GDs have been filed at the police station in the last seven days.