President’s medal winning ASP sued over US citizen’s murder

Two policemen, including one who won the president's medal, have been named in the murder of Bangladeshi-born US citizen Safayet Mahbub Farazi, 37.

The slain US citizen's mother Shamimun Nahar, also a US citizen, filed the murder case with the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court, Dhaka, accusing Dhaka Metropolitan Police's Badda Zone Assistant Commissioner Toachir Jahan Babu, sub-inspector Mohammad Moshiur of Badda Police Station and six others – victim's friend Sujana Tabassum Salam,33, Aftab, Shakhawat, Aswad, Sujana's house owner Kamrul Haque and caretaker Ripon.

The policemen were also accused of negligence, tampering with evidence and threatening the victim's family.

Hours after the hearing on the matter on Wednesday afternoon, Metropolitan Magistrate Arafatul Rakib accepted the case and asked the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) to investigate it.

Plaintiff's lawyer Mohammad Sarwar Hossain confirmed the matter to The Business Standard, saying the case was filed on the suggestion of the US embassy as police failed to record the case after 45 days of the incident.

The plaintiff alleged that the accused killed her son in a premeditated manner, destroyed evidence of the murder and threatened her.

One of the accused, ASP Toachir Jahan Babu, was awarded the President Police Medal (PPM) for gallantry and professionalism.

News of the murder case sparked shock among the police fraternity.

Police officials told TBS that Toachir had a very good past record of six years.

When contacted, Toachir said, "No one heard of any bad record during the past six years of my career. How can a policeman kill a person? Is it possible? I have not gone through the case copy. Once I do so, I can comment further."

Accused Shakhawat told TBS that he last met Faraizi on the night of 25 December, the day after he was found dead in Sunaja's home. "I do not know who Sujana is. I only knew Faraizi; I am innocent and even attended his funeral," he added.

TBS tried to contact Sujana, but found her phone switched off.

According to the case statement, the plaintiff's son Faraizi came to Bangladesh from the US in September last year. After coming to Dhaka, he introduced Sujana, Aftab, Shakhawat and Aswad to his mother.

Occasionally, Sujana would go to Faraizi's home to meet him. Faraizi's mother Shamimum learnt that Sujana and Faraizi would often consume drugs and alcohol, and she forbade Sujana from coming to their house.

Aggrieved by this, on 23 November the accused came to Faraizi's home, hurled abusive words and hit both the mother and son, the case statement reads. After calling 999, the police went and brought the matter under control and resolved it.

On 10 February, the two were again attacked by the accused and needed emergency treatment at Dhaka Medical College Hospital, the case statement reads.

At around 9:30pm on the same night, Assistant Commissioner Toachir Jahan and SI Moshiur took Sujana to the victim's house. They threatened Faraizi to continue his relationship with Sujana or leave the country, Shamimun claimed.

The victim left home on 25 December to celebrate Christmas Eve. He returned home at 11:45pm. At the time, Sujana, Aftab, Shakhawat and Aswad were with him.

Seeing them, Shamimum became angry and asked them to leave. Sujana asked Faraizi to take her home. They travelled in Sujana's car, but Faraizi did not return.

After failing to trace her son the next day, the plaintiff went to Bhatara police station, where Assistant Commissioner Toachir told her that he didn't know the accused's address.

On 27 December, the plaintiff received a call from Bhatara police station that her son's body had been recovered from Sujana's home.

After an autopsy on 1 January, the plaintiff was handed over the body of her son.

According to the case statement, the plaintiff went to Sujana's house on 2 January  But homeowner Kamrul Haque and caretaker Ripon threatened to kill her if she entered the house.

The next day, the plaintiff went to file a case at Bhatara police station, but AC Toachir Jahan and SI Mashiur threatened her to not file the case.

After several attempts, the victim's mother failed to file any case. She even complained to the DMP commissioner on 9 January, but it did not change anything.

TBS tried to reach the DMP commissioner, but he was not available for comments.