20 policemen removed over killing of ex-army major at Cox’s Bazar checkpoint

The withdrawn policemen include Liakat Ali, the officer-in-charge of Baharchhara investigation centre, said the district’s Superintendent of Police ABM Masud Hossain on Sunday.

They were taken to the Cox’s Bazar Police Lines while their replacements were sent to Baharchhara.

The law-enforcing agency made the move to ensure a fair investigation into the incident by a committee formed by the home ministry, Masud said.

The police said they opened fire in self-defence when the retired army officer, Sinha Md Rashed Khan, brandished a gun after obstructing a search of his vehicle at the checkpoint at Shamlapur along the Cox's Bazar-Teknaf Marine Drive on Jul 31 night.

Apart from seizing firearms and drugs, they also detained a person from the scene and another from Nilima Resort at Himchhari in Cox’s Bazar. Two cases have been initiated over the incident.

Rashed had been staying at the resort with a woman and three other men for about a month to purportedly work on a documentary, according to SP Masud.

The home ministry on Saturday formed the inquiry committee after the police version of the story was called into into question. The government has given the committee seven days to file its findings.

An additional superintendent of police in the district, the general officer commanding of the army’s 10th Infantry Division, and a representative of Cox’s Bazar area commander are working as members of the panel headed by Additional District Magistrate Mohammad Shajahan Ali.

Besides investigation, the committee is to make recommendations to prevent a recurrence of such incident.

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