Committed to PEOPLE'S RIGHT TO KNOW
Vol. 5 Num 163 Thu. November 04, 2004  
   
National


Order to arrest Jessore DIG (Prisons)
Attempted sexual abuse of jail warden


Arrest warrant has been issued against DIG (Prisons) of Jessore Central Jail Sarder Abdus Salam for alleged attempted sexual harassment of a female jail warden.

Judge Nur Mohammad Moroi of the Women and Children Repre-ssion Prevention Court issue the arrest order on Tuesday after hearing the probe report submitted by the ADM on the case filed by jail warden Razia Sultana.

The court acquitted four other accused in the case and fixed November 28 for the next hearing.

Razia Sultana in her case alleged that the DIG made several attempts to sexually abuse her.

After filing of the case, the Judge asked the Deputy Commissioner to arrange a probe into the matter. The DC asked ADM Belayet Hossain to inquire into the allegations of Razia Sultana.

The ADM probed the matter and submitted a report to the court on behalf of the Deputy Commi-ssioner on October 31.

During investigation the ADM recorded evidences of 28 witnesses and found the allegations correct, court sources said.

After hearing the case, the judge ordered arrest of the DIG and acquitted four of his alleged accomplices. They are Habilder Abdul Khaleque and jail wardens Bhaboranjan, Badrul Alam and Siddiqur Rahman.

The complainant of the case, Razia Sultana, was present in the court during the hearing.

Earlier, 10 jail guards including Habilder Abdul Khaleque and jail warden Bhaboranjan were suspended for assisting the DIG in his immoral activities, according to Acting Senior Superintendent of Jessore jail Magistrate bazlur Rahman. They were suspended after investigation.

The complainant also alleged that the DIG, with the help of some jail guards, used to call her often at his official with an evil motive.

Meanwhile the Bangladesh Human Rights Implementation Committee (BHRIC) here also said that its probe found that the DIG had made several abortive attempts to sexually abuse jail warden Razia Sultana. Its finding was disclosed by advocate M A Ansari, a member of the five-member BHRIC team that probed the allegation.