The vandalism of a "tin-shed facility" used by content creator Salman Muqtadir in Dhaka’s ECB Chattar appears to have stemmed from a dispute over around 35 kathas of land, Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed said today.
A preliminary investigation found that the dispute was between property developer New Gini Properties Ltd and a retired military officer, he told reporters at the Secretariat when he addressed several law and order incidents that have been making the headlines recently.
According to the initial findings, a group allegedly acting on behalf of the retired officer went to take possession of the disputed land at night and vandalised several structures, including the facility used by Salman, who is a social media influencer.
Police went to the spot after receiving a call through 999 and detained three people. Bullet casings and locally made weapons were also recovered, the minister said.
Salman has not yet filed a case over the vandalism, but legal proceedings are underway and a case may be filed soon, he said.
Responding to Salman’s allegation on Facebook Live that the BNP was an “extortionist party”, Salahuddin said Salman had himself stated that nobody had demanded money from him.
“If nobody demanded extortion money from him and he says he would have paid if someone had asked, then how can he make a blanket allegation that the BNP is an extortionist party?” he said.
Salahuddin said Salman could file a specific complaint if he had allegations against anyone. “If he files a specific case, we can investigate it,” he said.
Jasod office raid
Police raided the central office of Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (Jasod) yesterday after receiving intelligence that people linked to the banned Awami League had gathered there to plan “various acts of sabotage”, Salahuddin said.
Around 150-200 people were detained during the operation, of whom 27 remain in custody for further questioning, forensic examination and background checks.
“If evidence is found that they were involved in any sabotage, cases will be filed against them,” the minister said.
He said political parties did not need police permission to hold discussions inside their offices, but he could not immediately say whether permission had been taken for the gathering.
Shah Ali OC withdrawn
Salahuddin said the officer-in-charge of Shah Ali Police Station was withdrawn after an initial inquiry found negligence during the vandalism and attempted takeover of a health facility in Mirpur after midnight on September 25.
The facility housed a clinic running a long-standing child vaccination programme. Nine people have so far been arrested over the incident, he said.
The OC was withdrawn immediately and departmental proceedings would be initiated against him. “Whoever they are and whatever their political identity, we will not take that into consideration,” Salahuddin said.
On cocktail blasts
Salahuddin described remarks attributed to a political leader that cocktail explosions in Dhaka would stop if an alliance’s demands were accepted as “incoherent and unbalanced”.
“If you say cocktail explosions will stop if the demands are accepted, what does that indicate?” he said.
On police transfers, the minister said they could be made for administrative reasons or negligence, but “transfer is not the end” and departmental proceedings could follow.
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