Arrest warrants issued against 700 police members for absence from testimony

Courts have issued arrest warrants against at least 700 police members of various ranks working in Chattogram Metropolitan Police (CMP) and various other units across the country for failing to appear in court to testify in important cases. Among them, most of the police members face non-bailable arrest warrants.

The information was revealed from letters sent from the office of the Deputy Commissioner (Headquarters) of CMP to various law enforcement units across the country, including Chattogram, in 18 separate memos on Saturday, October 3. Copies of the letters are preserved with Desh Rupantor.

In the letters signed by the DC Headquarters of CMP, the heads of the concerned units were told that dates have been fixed in various dates of the current October and next November for police members to testify in cases under trial in various courts of Chattogram. They were requested to ensure the witnesses appear before the concerned courts by 9am on the scheduled dates.

The letters further said the court has issued arrest warrants and non-bailable arrest warrants against the witnesses. If the witnesses do not appear on the scheduled dates and the outcome of the state's case is jeopardised due to the absence of witnesses, the responsibility will fall on the witnesses and the concerned authorities.

It was learned that the trial proceedings of a huge number of criminal cases are being obstructed due to the absence of police witnesses in important cases in various courts of Chattogram. As police members remain absent as important witnesses during hearings, the merits of the cases are also being weakened.

Over the past two days, the Desh Rupantor correspondent spoke with several police witnesses. Speaking on condition of anonymity, they said they are not receiving summonses on time due to negligence by officers responsible for the 'Summon Branch' of the reserve offices of CMP and various other police units. There is also indifference among supervisory officers regarding delivering summonses to the concerned police witnesses.

A former police inspector of CMP said, "If they cannot appear in court on time to testify in a case, the sword of punishment falls on the witnesses. This is unjust."

In this regard, Deputy Commissioner (Prosecution) of CMP Hasan Iqbal said, "There is no lack of effort in ensuring police witnesses appear in court on the scheduled dates of cases. Police members working in various units across the country receive allowance facilities to come to court. But police witnesses who have retired or been dismissed do not receive appearance or travel expenses to come to court on the scheduled dates."

He further said, "Again, even if a police witness's summons is sent to the reserve office, in many cases the concerned police member's BP number is not there. For this reason, it becomes difficult to find the witness's workplace. However, I do not know whether there is negligence on the part of CMP's summon branch."

Sources said that before August 5, 2024, many police members of various ranks identified as Awami League supporters working in various police stations of CMP and Chattogram district police are not appearing in court to testify on scheduled dates. After the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government on August 5, 2024, at least a dozen police inspectors, including Md Mohsin and Pranab Chowdhury, who served as OCs at various police stations of CMP, cannot be traced, according to intelligence sources.