RAB DG rejects sole blame on law enforcers over Mohammadpur murder

Director General of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and Additional Inspector General of Police, Md Ahsan Habib Palash, has questioned whether law enforcement agencies alone should bear responsibility for repeat offenders, referring to the victim in Mohammadpur who had 18 cases filed against him.

He made the remarks at Ramna Batamul in the capital today (13 April) while speaking at a press conference to brief the media on security arrangements for Pohela Boishakh celebrations.

During the briefing, a journalist asked whether authorities could avoid responsibility, given repeated incidents in Mohammadpur, including a murder yesterday (12 April) involving a person with 18 cases.

In response, the RAB chief said, "This is not about avoiding or shifting responsibility. The question is whether we are doing our job when incidents occur. Why should I take all the blame? Should all responsibility lie with RAB or the police alone? Should only law enforcement be held accountable?"

He added that his duty is to arrest criminals whenever they are found in crime-prone areas. "If someone has 18 cases, how did he remain free? You should ask those concerned. Then you may get the correct answer," he said.

Addressing another question about arrests in Mohammadpur, he said detentions are being made regularly. "What does having 18 cases mean? It indicates that he has been arrested multiple times. That itself shows how often he has been detained," he added.

According to police, around 4:30pm yesterday, a teenage gang leader named Emon, also known as 'Alex Emon', was attacked with sharp weapons allegedly by rivals in the Beribadh area of Rayerbazar under Mohammadpur Police Station.

He was critically injured and later died while undergoing treatment at Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital.