Confusion over cop’s death during hartal

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Confusion arose over the cause of death of an on-duty policeman during the hartal hours yesterday as the doctor concerned contradicted his own statement after state minister for home affairs visited the hospital to inquire about the victim.

“It is not related anyway with the injury, it’s a cardiac arrest,” Senior Consultant Dr Momenuzzaman of National Heart Foundation told reporters when Narayan Chandra Barman, a nayek of Pallabi Police Station, was rushed there after he fell on the road at Pallabi at about 9:15am. He sustained a minor injury on his forehead, the doctors said.

The incident took place when police were jostling with Awami League (AL) leaders and activists and other pickets who sat on the road at one point of their demonstration.

Few minutes after he was admitted to the Heart Foundation, on-duty policemen told the reporters that Narayan had died.

Getting the news, Lutfozzaman Babar, Inspector General of Police (IGP) Anwarul Iqbal and Commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) SM Mizanur Rahman rushed to the hospital at around 11:00am.

“He suffered brickbat injuries on forehead near his eye from a very close range that caused the heart problem,” Babar told the reporters there.

“Now-a-days, the pickets hurl large piece of bricks on policemen from a close range,” the state minister said blaming the recent ‘irresponsible statement’ by opposition leader and AL chief Sheikh Hasina, where she ‘instructed her party activists to retaliate against the police atrocities on them during hartals.’

“Did she realise then that such a statement can result in such a dangerous incident?” Babar said, adding that legal action would be taken against those responsible for the ‘killing.’

After the minister left the hospital, doctors officially declared Narayan dead.

Talking to reporters later, Momenuzzaman said that Narayan had been suffering from heart problems and the injury, which he earlier termed as “nothing serious,” triggered the cardiac arrest.

Saying that Narayan died of heart attack, AL General Secretary Abdul Jalil, meantime, demanded to form a neutral medical board to investigate the death.

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