The Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) has so far filed 264 cases, including 53 murder cases, over the recent violence following the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement.
Additional Commissioner of Police Biplob Kumar Sarker of the DMP also said on Tuesday at least 2,850 people were arrested in the cases filed with 50 police stations of DMP.
When asked about the murder case, he said, “53 murder cases have been filed. Some of these were filed by the families of those killed while some were filed by the police on behalf of the state.”
The DMP official said completely fair and impartial investigations will be conducted in the cases.
“Police will conduct an impartial role while investigating. The DMP commissioner himself will supervise the investigations.
“Senior officers have been instructed to monitor these cases. Any killing is certainly tragic. Police do not desire any deaths,” said Biplob.
He also said currently, those in detention, are being interrogated under remand. Block raids and drives are being conducted on the information given by them.
“If anyone tries to do business with arrests, strict actions will be taken against them. Action will also be
taken after proper analysis of the incident of death of students in police firing.”
Asked about video footage of police shooting unarmed people, he said, “Every incident has to be judged individually. If our member fires, the context in which the official fires will be reviewed. Fair investigation of every case will be ensured. So that the question does not arise that the police are biased in the case.”
“When a case is filed, it does not matter to us who belongs to which party, or what opinion they have ... When the common people file a first information report (FIR), it is not for the police to judge who filed it. So, there is no scope for any party or opponent here. The case will be investigated properly and appropriate legal action will be taken against those found guilty,” said the joint commissioner.
Responding to the allegations that ordinary students were being picked up by police, Biplob said there was no chance that common people, ordinary students, and innocent people were being arrested in block raids.
“The DMP commissioner has clear instructions. For this reason, senior officers of DMP have been deployed in the block raid, so that there is no violation of law in the block raid. Innocent people should not be harassed by the police. Even after all that, if there is any deviation, we take appropriate action immediately. But there is no chance of sparing anyone who is guilty,” he said.
Biplob further said there was no conflict between the students and the DMP.
“The police are very sensitive about the general students. The target of the police are the saboteurs who burnt the metro rail, Setu Bhaban, toll plaza, and various places. Our enemies are the Jamaat-Shibir clique and BNP criminals. We are looking at video and CCTV camera footage to arrest the responsible ones,” he said.
The families of the victims have filed some of the cases and some cases have been filed by the police on behalf of the state, he said.
Biplob also said that these cases will be investigated fair and impartially.
“The police will play a neutral role here and investigate. The DMP commissioner himself will supervise the investigation of those cases. Senior officers have been instructed to monitor these cases. Any murder is tragic. Police do not expect any deaths,” said Biplob.
Biplob further added that block raids are underway in some areas and the drive will continue.
