Nipironer Biruddhe Shahbag (Shahbag against Repression) staged a rally on Sunday seeking justice for Manoranjan Hajong, who lost his leg after being hit by a speeding car on the night of December 3 in Banani.
Manoranjan Hajong is a retired Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) member, and father of traffic sergeant Mohua Hajong. Mohua’s fight to have the police accept a case related to the accident against the driver of the car, Saif Hasan, son of Justice Rezaul Hasan, a sitting judge of the High Court Division, captured the nation’s attention.
Professor Robayet Ferdous, a teacher of Dhaka University’s mass communication and journalism department, said: “Mohua Hajong, daughter of Monoranjan Hajong, is serving the country as a Traffic Sergeant and her father has also served the country risking own life. But when he became the victim of a deadly accident, why was the police unwilling to take the case as the car driver was the son of a Judge? Or Manoranjan being a member of an outlying community is a fault?”
Demanding justice for Manoranjan, Professor Robayet added, “We demand a proper and righteous investigation of this incident and the culprit has to be provided with exemplary punishment.”
“Even after several days passed, police did not take the case of Mohua Hajong because the complainant is from a tribal community and the accused is from elite class. There is misuse of power,” human rights activist Dipayon Khisha said.
Police finally took the case in the last few days after a sustained public outcry. It was later learnt that they had also taken a case from the accused in Mahua’s case, Saif Hasan, alleging it was Manoranjan who broke the law and hit his BMW.
Dipayon said that “After a long struggle, police took the case but the accused remained anonymous when the perpetrator in the accident, Saif, was present in the police station.”
Writer and publisher Robin Hossain conducted the program and also spoke at the rally. Akramul Haque, leader of Shahbagh Movement against Oppression, Khan Asaduzzaman Masum, general secretary of the youth union, and Deepak Shil, general secretary of the student union, also spoke on the occasion.
Source: United News of Bangladesh