Staff Correspondent:

Sacked Sub-inspector of Bandarbazar Police camp, Akbar Hossain Bhuiya, who secured bail in a case filed in connection with the death of Raihan Ahmed at the Bandarbazar police outpost in 2020, was released from Sylhet Metropolitan Jail on Sunday.

Akbar walked out from the Sylhet Central Jail-2 on Sunday evening after completing all formal activities, said Senior Jail Super Prashanta Kumar Banik while speaking at a press briefing on Monday.

Earlier, the High Court granted bail to Akbar for six months, in connection with a case over the death of Raihan Ahmed in police custody.

Expressing dissatisfaction, Raihan’s mother said that the prime accused might be leaving the country. “I am deeply frustrated over the court order.”

On October 11, 2020, Raihan Ahmed, 34, a resident of Akharia in Sylhet city, was beaten to death in police custody.

His wife, Tahmina Akter Tanni, filed a case with Kotwali Police Station the following day against a number of unidentified people.

Four policemen, including then in-charge of Bandarbazar Police outpost sub-inspector Akbar, were suspended on October 12. The three other policemen were also withdrawn the same day.

Later, the case was transferred to the PBI.

On November 18, 2020, a court sent the suspended sub-inspector of Bandarbazar police outpost, Akbar Hossain Bhuiyan, to jail in connection with Raihan’s death.

Akbar was arrested from Dona frontier area in Kanaighat upazila of Sylhet on November 9, 2020.

Police pressed charges against six people, including Akbar on May 5, 2021.

The other accused of the case were—assistant sub-inspector Asheque Elahi, 43, constable Md Harun-or-Rashid, 32, Titu Chandra Das, 38, sub-inspector Hasan Uddin, 32 and Abdullah AL Noman, 32, a relative of Akbar.

HOW RAIHAN DIED

Raihan (34), a resident of Akharia in Sylhet city, was allegedly  beaten to death in police custody on October 11, 2020.

Raihan had called his mother from an unknown number and said police had taken him to Bandarbazar outpost and demanded Tk 10,000 for his release in the early hours of October 11.

His uncle then rushed to the police outpost with Tk 5,000 but policemen refused to take the money and asked him to return after arranging Tk 10,000.

Raihan’s uncle then again went to Bandarbazar police outpost at 9:30am with the money but he was told that his nephew had fallen sick and taken to a hospital at 6:40am.

As he went to the hospital, he came to know that Raihan was already dead and his body had been sent for post-mortem.

Turning down the allegation of torture, police said Raihan was caught by locals in Kastghar area during a robbery and was lynched.

As the news of Raihan’s death spread around, local people burst into protests and blocked the Sylhet-Sunamganj Highway.