BMP suspend two more cops over Barisal journo torture

BARISAL, Mar 17 (UNB): Barisal Metropolitan Police (BMP) have suspended two more police personnel of Detective Branch (DB) who allegedly tortured journalist of a private TV channel in the city on March 13.
The suspended policemen are- Abdur Rahim and Rasel Parvez, constables of BMP Detective Branch.
BMP Assistant Commissioner (DB) Nasir Uddin Mallik said the duo was suspended on Thursday night as the probe committee found their involvement in torturing Sumon Hasan, camera person of DBC news channel.
Earlier, another constable Maksudul Haque was also suspended in this regard, he added.
Besides, sub-inspector Abdul Bashar, assistant sub-inspectors Swapan and Akther Hossain and constables Hasan and Saiful Islam were also found guilty in the departmental probe report.
They were preparing to file a case in this connection, the commissioner added.
Earlier on Wednesday, the eight members of DB police were closed to the district police lines over the torture and a probe committee was formed to look into the incident.
On March 13, a DB team, led by sub-inspector Abul Bashar, engaged in an alteration with Sumon Hasan during a police drive at a house near old 'Beauty Hall' at South Chawkbazar in the city.
At one stage, the DB team swooped on the journalist and beat him mercilessly. They also hit in the testicles which made him unconscious.
The detectives then took Sumon to their office and tortured him inhumanly again there.
They also assaulted some senior journalists when they went to the DB office on information.
Later, the senior journalists informed the matter to BMP Deputy Commissioner Golam Rauf who regretted the incident and ordered actions against the eight DB men.
Sumon alleged that the DB team swooped on him as he wanted to know about the drive. "They got furious when I introduced myself as a journalist," he said, adding that they also threatened to implicate him in a drug case and kill him in crossfire.