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Rab man beaten to death in Habiganj
[Bangla Daily Star] A mob allegedly beat a Rapid Action Battalion member to death as he demanded toll from drug peddlers at Ratanpur under Madhabpur upazila in Habiganj yesterday afternoon, local sources said. He was identified as Abul Quashem from Chokoria upazila under Cox's Bazaar district. Quashem joined the Rab several months ago. Rab-9 officials, however, said Quashem died of Meanwhile, most males of Ratanpur left their homes for fear of arrest by Rab personnel who had already arrested three villagers. Platoon Commander Quashem, deputed to Rab from Ansar, came under the attack of villagers when he went there in plain clothes along with two informants --Biplab and Raju--to extort money from drug peddlers, locals said. The peddlers as well as villagers challenged the Rab man and shouted for help saying 'dacoit, dacoit'. The two informants instantly fled the scene. At one stage, the villagers gave the Rab man a good beating and confined him to a house, said the sources. Later the union parishad chairman and other Rab men from Srimangal camp rescued the critically injured Quashem and rushed him to Sylhet Sadar Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries. When contacted, Rab-9 Commanding Officer Syed Anagh told The Daily Star, "I came to know about the death of a Rab personnel. But I am yet to know the details." Captain Manzur of Rab-9, however, claimed Quashem conducted an operation Thursday night and later he fell sick yesterday morning that led to his death. He also said that Quashem died of a heart attack. Police Super of Habiganj Dr Akkas Uddin Bhuiyan also told The Daily Star the Rab man Abul Quashem along with constable Mujibur Rahman and sources went to the village in plain clothes on an auto rickshaw. Quashem sustained injuries as villagers took him for a criminal and beat him up after confining him to a house. A Rab team and the UP chairman rescued them. On his return to the Ansar camp he fell sick and was immediately taken to the Habiganj Sadar Hospital where the physicians declared him dead at about 2:00pm, the official added. A post mortem on the body was completed at 8:30pm and now the body would be sent to his family, the SP said, adding that filing a case is also in progress. Meanwhile, Rab men detained three villagers, Rais Miah Sarder, Rubel Miah and Abu Bakar, from Ratanpur on charge of drug peddling. In another incident, male villagers of Ekuria village in South Keraniganj in Dhaka also went into hiding after they beat up two Rab members of Rab-10 who allegedly favoured one of the feuding groups on Thursday. Rab-10 officials filed a case against the villagers for beating up Rab personnel. Posted by: Fred 2009-08-29 |
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