Rayhan murder: SI Hasan of Bandarbazar police outpost arrested

The Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) has arrested suspended sub-inspector Hasan Uddin for allegedly helping the key accused in the Rayhan murder case, Akbar Hossain, the then in-charge of Bandarbazar police outpost in Sylhet, to go into hiding.

Confirming the matter to Dhaka Tribune, PBI Additional Superintendent of Police (Add SP) Md Khaleduzzaman said: “Hasan along with Abdullah Al Noman, an online news portal journalist, allegedly helped Akbar escape following the death of 34-year-old Rayhan Ahmed at Bandarbazar police outpost in October last year. Besides, there are also allegations against these two for destroying footages of the closed-circuit cameras around the outpost.” 

Hasan, who was earlier suspended and attached to the Sylhet Metropolitan Police Lines, was shown arrested on Thursday morning.

Also Read- Bandar Bazar police SI suspended over Rayhan’s death

On October 11, Rayhan, a resident of Akhalia in Sylhet city, was beaten to death in police custody at Bandar Bazar police outpost.

On October 12, Rayhan's wife Tahmina Akhter Tanni filed a case under the Torture and Custodial Death (Prevention) Act 2013 with Sylhet Kotwali police station.

The case was later transferred to PBI following the family's demand.

A forensic medical board of Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College and Hospital, in its second autopsy report, said Rayhan had died due to injuries he sustained from a blunt weapon.

In the first autopsy report, the doctors found 111 injury marks on Rayhan's body. Of them, 14 were serious injuries.

Also Read- Sylhet custodial death: Key accused SI Akbar arrested

According to the autopsy report, two of Rayhan's fingernails had been removed. Such torture was carried out on him for two to four hours before his death. The medical board found similarities between the first autopsy report and the second one.

A probe body of Sylhet Metropolitan Police (SMP) also found the truth of the torture.

SI Akbar, the then in-charge of Bandar Bazar police outpost, and three police personnel were suspended on October 12 while three others were also withdrawn from the outpost.

Akbar fled from police custody on October 13 and was arrested at the Dona border in the northeastern district's Kanaighat upazila on November 9.