Ex-DMP chief among 5 charged over Rampura killings, shooting

Formal charges have been submitted to the International Crimes Tribunal-1 against five police officers, including former Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Commissioner Habibur Rahman and former Khilgaon Zone Assistant Deputy Commissioner (ADC) Rashedul Islam, over the killing of two individuals and the shooting of a youth named Amir Hossain, who was seen hanging from the cornice of a building in Dhaka’s Rampura.

The charges were submitted by Prosecutor Faruk Ahmed, accompanied by Prosecutor Saimum Reza Talukder, on Thursday (August 7) on behalf of the prosecution.

The other three accused in the case are former Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Rampura Police Station Md Moshiur Rahman, former Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) of Rampura Police Outpost Chanchal Chandra Sarker, and former Sub-Inspector (SI) of Rampura Police Station Tarikul Islam Bhuiyan.

On July 31, the investigation agency submitted its report to the Chief Prosecutor’s Office. Earlier, on July 14, the Tribunal had instructed that the investigation report be submitted within two months. The directive was issued by a three-member judicial panel of Tribunal-1, headed by Justice Md Golam Mortuza Mojumder. On that day, Prosecutor Gazi MH Tamim represented the prosecution.

According to the case details, on July 19 last year, during a student-led mass uprising, Amir Hossain — who had just finished work at a hotel in Rampura — was returning to his aunt’s house in Dhaka. His family home is in Brahmanbaria. Upon seeing police and BGB vehicles on both sides of the Banasree-Meradia road, he panicked and climbed to the roof of an under-construction four-story building nearby in an attempt to escape.

Police reportedly chased him. At one point, Amir was seen hanging from an iron rod on the building's cornice. Despite this, a police officer allegedly fired six shots at him. He fell to the third floor and was rescued by locals after they heard his screams. He was initially taken to a hospital in Banasree, and later referred to Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH), where he underwent long-term treatment before returning home.

Former ASI Chanchal Chandra Sarker, who allegedly fired the shots, was arrested on January 26 from Dighinala in Khagrachhari by a Dhaka Metropolitan Police team led by Tribunal Prosecutor Tanvir Hassan Johar. The case was investigated against five accused, including former ADC Rashed of DMP’s Motijheel Division.