Serious questions have emerged over an attempt by plainclothes members of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) to pick up a former student of Jagannath University from her home in Old Dhaka without providing any reason or showing identity cards or official documents.
Sutrapur Police Station Officer-in-Charge Md Anwar Hossain confirmed that the individuals were members of RAB-2, which is based in Mohammadpur, while Sutrapur is outside its jurisdiction.
Questions have been raised among Sutrapur police, local residents, and students and teachers of Jagannath University over why RAB-2 members went there and attempted to take the student away in connection with a theft case filed with Cantonment Police Station.
“We believe the RAB members had an ulterior motive,” said a local vendor.
The student, Mamataz Ara Barsha, said she later came to know that a case had been filed against her at Dhaka Cantonment Police Station. However, the OC of that station told TIMES that RAB was not supposed to conduct operations in connection with a theft case.
At around 6am on Sunday, people identifying themselves as RAB members entered the seventh floor of House No 53/46 near Kaltabazar Food Warehouse and allegedly attempted to take away Mamataz, a student of Jagannath University’s 11th batch.
She said the situation changed after she informed university teachers, who arrived at the scene and intervened.
At a press conference later at the university’s Bhasha Shaheed Rafiq Building, Mamataz alleged that five to six people arrived at her home early in the morning and pressured her family to open the door without identifying themselves.
She said they refused to disclose their identities for around 10 minutes before claiming to be RAB members. However, they did not provide their names or specify which battalion they belonged to.
When they began forcing the door, Mamataz called the national emergency service 999. She said they identified themselves as RAB members after police arrived, and several RAB vehicles later reached the scene.
She alleged that the team searched her home without explaining what they were looking for. Later, they told her that a case had been filed against her and that she would be taken to Dhaka Cantonment Police Station.
“When I repeatedly asked them to show the warrant and tell me my offence, they did not provide any documents,” she said.
Mamataz alleged that her mobile phone was taken before she was put into a vehicle. She said she was asked to switch off her phone and prevented from contacting anyone.
The situation changed after members of the university’s proctorial body, teachers, classmates and friends arrived.
“Teachers repeatedly asked the RAB members to show their identity cards, but they could not do so,” she said.
After being questioned by the teachers, she was taken out of the vehicle and her phone was returned.
Mamataz said she came to know that the case against her involved allegations of buying stolen goods. She said the case mentioned transactions through two mobile numbers, but she does not use those numbers.
She suspects the incident may be linked to a long-running family dispute with her sister’s ex-husband, Sumon Ahmed, who worked for RAB and the Detective Branch of police.
She said her sister’s marriage ended in divorce around four and a half years ago and disputes had continued since then. She alleged that the family had faced threats, abuse, mental harassment and threats of being implicated in cases. General diaries were filed at Dinajpur Police Station over the incidents, she said.
She also alleged that Sumon had threatened to “show them what he could do within a week”.
Mamataz said Sumon had previously worked in the information technology sector and was the chief executive officer of a technology company.
“Ensuring the student’s safety is our primary responsibility at this moment. The university administration is taking the matter seriously,” said Jagannath University Assistant Proctor Ahmed Ihsanul Kabir.
Sutrapur Police Station OC Md Anwar Hossain told TIMES that the individuals involved were RAB-2 members who had gone to take Mamataz in connection with a case involving the purchase of stolen goods.
“Later, we learned that it was a family dispute-related case,” he said.
Dhaka Cantonment Police Station OC Shahriar Hasan, where the case was reportedly filed, said he had no knowledge of the matter.
He said the police station had not provided any information to RAB regarding the operation. “RAB does not normally go to arrest accused persons in theft cases.”
RAB is accused of gross human rights violations, including excessive use of force, since its establishment. In 2021, US imposed sanctions on RAB and its officers over human rights violations.
BNP and human rights bodies called for abolishing the force. After coming to power, BNP government is set to keeping the controversial force with a new name.
The opposition Jamaat-National Citizen Party (NCP) has also demanded RAB’s abolition.
Supreme Court lawyer Manzil Morshed said the alleged operation in Old Dhaka did not appear to follow legal procedures.
“Cases involving the purchase or receipt of stolen goods are filed under Section 411 of the Penal Code. If the accused person’s name and address are mentioned in the FIR, police can arrest them at that address. In such cases, the relevant police station is informed beforehand and a general diary is filed before conducting the operation,” he told TIMES.
Despite repeated calls, TIMES could not obtain comments from RAB-2. The phone of its commander Naimul Hasan was found switched off for hours. The director of RAB’s Law and Media Wing, MZM Intekhab Chowdhury, did not answer calls.
