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Shah Alam, the former police officer who fled from police custody at Dhaka’s Uttara East Police Station, has likely left the country, according to Dhaka Metropolitan police Commissioner Sheikh Md Sazzat Ali.
“We tried very hard to catch him,” he said. “But we believe that he may no longer be in the country. He may have fled to India or another country.”
Alam had been arrested in a case related to the Anti-discrimination Student Movement on Jan 8. The following day, he fled from police custody at the Uttara East Police Station.
That day, Assistant Sub Inspector Sajjad was temporarily suspended over allegations of “negligence” in the incident. The following day, DMP Headquarters withdrew Mohib Ullah, the station’s officer-in-charge.
DMP chief Sazzat said, in response to a question: “We arrested the former OC from Kushtia. After he fled, questions were raised about whether police had allowed him to flee. We did not catch him just to let him go. If we had wanted to let him go, there was no need to arrest him and bring him back from Kushtia. Police could have let him go there.”
“The truth is, the police wanted to show him some sympathy. They did not put him in the lock-up, but instead in the police officer’s room. Maybe his escape could have been prevented if he was in lock-up. One person was left on duty. Maybe he became careless and the former OC fled.”
Alam was assigned to the Kushtia Training Centre. He was arrested from there. The interim government had transferred him to the centre after taking power.
Alam had been appointed as chief of Uttara East police Station on Aug 1, during the Anti-discrimination Student Movement protests. On Sept 2, he was accused in a murder case filed at the police station for his actions during the July uprising.