Disappeared BNP man Sumon of Shahinbagh given prison term

Court decision

A Dhaka court on Monday sentenced Sajedul Islam Sumon, a BNP leader from Shahinbagh area to two and half years’ imprisonment in an arson case.

Sumon has been missing since December 2013 and is believed to be a victim of enforced disappearance.

Late at night on May 25 of 2013, a private car was torched in front of what was formerly Ayesha Memorial Hospital while the driver was still inside, according to the First Information Report (FIR).

Sumon, along with 17 others were accused in a case filed with Tejgaon Model Police Station in connection with the incident. He was a ward-level BNP Secretary-General from Shahinbagh.

Metropolitan Magistrate Sheikh Sadi of Dhaka CMM Court passed the order in the case filed by the driver of the car that was torched.

The Investigation Officer (IO) of the case submitted the charge sheet of the case to the court on September 24 of 2014, formally charging Sumon with arson. The IO wrote in the charge sheet that Sumon was "absconding" and they could not arrest him.

According to his family members, however, Sumon had been forcibly disappeared for nine months by then.

‘My brother was picked up in front of eye-witnesses in December 2013. If they could investigate and accuse him in a case, why could they not investigate and find out where he is?’ asked Sanjida Islam Tulee, Sumon’s sister.

She is the Coordinator of Mayer Daak, a platform for families of victims of enforced disappearances. It was after Sumon was forcibly disappeared and this platform came into being.

Sumon’s family members had time and again said men wearing RAB uniform, and claiming to be from RAB, had picked up Sumon.

‘We had gone to different police stations to look for him, but nobody told us that they were investigating a case against him. If there was a case, why was he not arrested back then, before he was picked up?’; asked Sanjida. The police had visited her house four times, she said.

Jahangir, the driver of the private car which was set on fire, was the complainant of the case filed with Tejgaon Model Police Station. He spoke to this correspondent and said he had not filed any case.

‘The police took me to the police station to know about what happened, and then asked me to sign a piece of blank paper. That is all I know. I did not see anyone setting the car on fire, so why would I charge anyone?’ said Jahangir.

He continued, ‘I also told the same to the Magistrate. I said that I did not file any case and I was compelled to sign a blank paper.’ - Special Correspondent