Mirpur clinic vandalism: 4 arrestees sent to jail
Police say the accused admitted to taking part in the attack for money.
A Dhaka court today (26 September) sent four people to jail over the attack, looting and vandalism at a private NGO-run clinic, Radda MCH-FP Centre, in the capital's Mirpur-1.
Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Mohammad Siddiq Azad passed the order after the investigation officer of Shah Ali Police Station produced the four before the court, according to prosecution sources.
The accused are Sohel, 22, Juel, 23, Jihad Hasan, 21, and Rabib, 20.
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During today's hearing, Shah Ali Police Station Sub-Inspector Ataur Rahman, also the investigation officer, sought to keep the four in custody during the investigation.
According to the investigation officer's application, the four admitted during questioning to being involved in the attack, and police found that they had taken part for money.
The application also states that the addresses provided by the accused could not be immediately verified, as the four were not residents of the Shah Ali Police Station area.
The investigation officer said the preliminary investigation had found evidence linking the four to the incident and argued that releasing them on bail could hamper the investigation or allow them to flee.
Yesterday, the attack took place around 12:05am, according to the case statement.
A group of people allegedly entered the Radda MCH-FP Centre in the Shah Ali area carrying hammers, sticks and locally made weapons. They allegedly climbed over the boundary wall, assaulted and tied up two night guards -- Andria Sarkar, 43, and Md Abdul Hai, 63 -- before breaking open the main gate with a hammer and entering the premises with an excavator.
The attackers demolished a 28ft-by-15ft semi-pucca building on the eastern side of the facility, causing an estimated Tk3 lakh in damage, the statement mentioned.
They also vandalised another semi-pucca building used for family planning services, along with its furniture, causing around Tk4 lakh in damage, it added.
The case statement further states that the attackers vandalised a 60ft-by-17ft building used by the clinic in-charge, doctors and deputy clinic in-charge, along with furniture and equipment, causing around Tk20 lakh in damage.
The attackers also vandalised the registration section, causing around Tk20 lakh in damage, and damaged doors and windows of the ultrasound, vaccination and laboratory rooms, resulting in an estimated Tk2 lakh loss, it mentioned.
The attackers allegedly took medicines and other supplies, two ultrasound machines, a generator, two computers, two printers, three refrigerators, three air conditioners and three steel cupboards.
The case estimates the value of the looted items at around Tk60 lakh, according to the statement.
The total damage from the vandalism and looting was estimated at around Tk1.09 crore, it states.
Before leaving, the attackers allegedly threatened the two night guards and put up a banner and signboard of a shopkeepers' cooperative association on the premises, the case statement added.
Executive Director of Radda MCH-FP Centre Dr Nasrin Akhter filed the case with Shah Ali Police Station against Md Hanif Mia, 50, and 200-250 unidentified people.
According to police, the four accused were arrested today.
Earlier in the day, Shah Ali Police Station Officer-in-Charge Jahangir Hossain said the four had admitted to carrying out the attack for money, but he did not disclose their identities at the time.
The police officer also acknowledged that police personnel were present at the scene while the attackers were vandalising and demolishing the clinic, but did not explain why they did not stop them.
Dhaka Metropolitan Police Commissioner Mosleh Uddin Ahmed later inspected the site and said a three-member committee had been formed to investigate possible police lapses.
He also said action would be taken against any police personnel found involved.
The Radda MCH-FP Centre has provided primary healthcare, EPI vaccination, and family-planning services to poor and underprivileged people at the site since 1976.
