ASK demands probe into Trishal UNO's assault on sand quarry employee
Trishal UNO Arafat Siddiqui has faced calls for an impartial probe after CCTV footage appeared to show him assaulting a sand quarry employee during an operation.
The Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK) has strongly protested and demanded an investigation into incident in which the Trishal upazila nirbahi officer (UNO) allegedly slapped and beat an employee of a sand quarry leaseholder during a mobile court operation in Mymensingh.
Citing media reports and video footage, the legal aid and human rights organisation said today (13 August) that UNO Arafat Siddiqui slapped a manager of the leaseholder twice and struck him with a stick during the operation in the Kalir Bazar area on Wednesday.
The injured man was later admitted to hospital, according to reports.
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"Even if someone is suspected of violating the law, they must be held accountable through due legal process. No one has the authority to take the law into their own hands in the name of law enforcement," the ASK said in a statement today (13 August).
It said the Mobile Court Act, 2009, does not give an executive magistrate the authority to slap, beat or physically punish anyone.
"Under what legal jurisdiction did the concerned UNO slap a citizen and hit him with a stick? Which provision of the Mobile Court Act gave him the authority to impose such physical punishment?" it asked.
If no such legal authority exists, the incident cannot be considered part of conducting a mobile court operation, ASK said.
The rights organisation called for an impartial and effective investigation into the incident. It said the authorities should launch an investigation on their own initiative rather than wait for a written complaint from the victim.
What happened
CCTV footage of the incident has gone viral on social media. The footage, about a minute long, shows the UNO allegedly slapping Sarwar Jahan alias Bachchu several times and hitting him with a stick, reports UNB. Assistant Commissioner (Land) Md Mahbubur Rahman and law enforcement personnel were also present.
The incident took place around 1:59pm on Wednesday at a sand sales point under Kanthal union, according to the leaseholder. The footage shows a team led by Arafat Siddiqui, accompanied by Ansar and RAB members, arriving at the site.
The UNO asks for documents, while Sarwar, manager of Srishti Enterprise, asks the officials to identify themselves. The UNO then allegedly slaps Sarwar several times.
As a RAB member tries to take him away, the UNO allegedly takes a stick from the member and hits Sarwar several times. AC (Land) Mahbubur is seen trying to stop him.
Law enforcement later takes Sarwar away in a RAB vehicle to the Dhala area of Trishal, according to the leaseholder. After his release, relatives and leaseholder representatives took him to Mymensingh Medical College.
Srishti Enterprise owner Shamsuzzaman Masud said, "Our employee asked the people who came for the operation to identify themselves. He was assaulted immediately afterwards. We are concerned about the incident and demand a fair investigation and necessary action."
UNO Arafat could not be reached for comment.
Deputy Commissioner Md Saifur Rahman said he had seen the video. "If the victim submits a written complaint, the matter will be examined and action will be taken accordingly."
