BANGLADESH

The prime minister was briefed about the raid after it led to arrest of three Dhaka police detectives, a senior NSI official has said.

Md Shafiq Ullah, an NSI director, had told bdnews24.com's chief crime correspondent Liton Haider and several other journalists at the NSI headquarters on Monday that the NSI director-general had informed the prime minister about the arrest of the three policemen.

"The prime minister had asked for measures (against the DMP inspectors)," he added.

bdnews24.com reported quoting director Shafiq that prime minister Sheikh Hasina was informed before the operationwas carried out and that she had authorised the raid.

Later, he called up to explain that not before, but after the raid was the prime minister filled in by the NSI director-general.

Bangladesh's top intelligence outfit issued a strong rebuttal of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police Detective Branch (DB) inspectors who claimed they had been subjected to physical torture in custody.

The NSI director said "a certain group" was out to destroy the image of "both the police and the NSI".

"We'll ask the Prime Minister's Office for departmental action against the three inspectors arrested while taking bribe, their team leader assistant commissioner and those who are dishing out false information to the media," Md Shafiq Ullah said.

NSI EXPLAINS EVENTS

Dhaka Metropolitan Police's DB inspectors Shafiuddin Sheikh, Ruhul Amin and Gias Uddin were temporarily suspended on Oct 6 following their arrest by NSI officials in front of the Holy Family Hospital at Maghbazar.

NSI officials on Sunday claimed that they had set up a trap there to catch 'fake DB officials' following information from a businessman.

On Monday, Shafiq Ullah told reporters that the businessman, 'Jewel', a pharmacy owner, had been picked up from a gambling joint in Badda by the three officers.

"According to Jewel, the officers took all the money in that joint and forced Jewel to call his wife for more money. They met in Karwan Bazar and took a chequebook from Jewel's wife," he said.

He added that the trio was found in possession of a cheque of Tk 300,000 signed by Jewel, and two more cheques from that book.

Meanwhile, DB has launched a probe into the allegation that NSI officials had taken the three officers in custody and tortured them even after they had identified themselves as police officers on the spot.

The suspended detectives are currently admitted at Rajarbagh Police Lines Hospital with injuries.

Shafiq Ullah said the allegations of torture were untrue. "NSI has the authority to make arrests. So it did nothing illegal," he said.

"And the detectives arrived within 10/15 minutes of bringing them here," he added, "So there was no room for any torture to take place."

"I myself called the IGP and the DMP chief immediately after the arrest," Shafiq Ullah said. "And NSI additional director Aminul Haq called DB deputy commissioner Monirul Islam."

When asked how inspector Shafiudin had received an injury to the eye, Shafiq Ullah said it may have happened seizing his weapon.