Director General of Ansar and Village Defense Forces Major General Abdul Motalleb Sazzad Mahmud stated that there was no negligence or dereliction of duty by Ansar members in the brutal killing of businessman Sohag in front of Sir Salimullah Medical College and Hospital in Old Dhaka’s Mitford area.
At a press conference held at the Khilgaon headquarters on Sunday, he explained that on the day of the incident, Ansar members were performing their duties strictly according to the hospital’s assigned roster. They had no opportunity to voluntarily move beyond the gates outside their designated posts.
The DG said the murder of Sohag took place at 5:50pm near Gate No 3 of Mitford Hospital. At that time, Ansar members had no assigned duty outside the gate, and hospital authorities had not permitted them to operate beyond the premises. Thus, allegations of negligence against Ansar members are baseless.
He further added that while hundreds of people were present at the scene, no one informed the Ansar camp or the platoon commander. The commander later arrived at the scene, found the victim critically injured, and arranged for immediate hospital transfer. However, the hospital administration failed to take prompt action at the site.
The DG emphasised that hospital authorities have full control over security arrangements and Ansar members’ duty assignments. Ansar personnel strictly follow their directives. The absence of CCTV cameras has also contributed to security vulnerabilities.
“Since Ansar members were not rostered for duty at the location during the incident, they were not present there. Without authorisation from authorities, they had no scope to act beyond the gates voluntarily. Therefore, accusations of negligence are unfounded,” he stated.
The DG expressed deep condolences to the bereaved family and prayed for the departed soul.
