Torturing journalist: Ex-Kurigram DC Sultana lands in jail

A Kurigram court yesterday sent former deputy commissioner of
Kurigram, Sultana Parvin, to jail after rejecting her
bail petition in a case filed over torturing a journalist.
Sultana,
who is currently serving as an officer on special duty (OSD), entered a crowded
courtroom around 11:15am, where a huge number of people had gathered to catch a
glimpse of their former DC.
After hearing arguments from both sides and reviewing case
documents, Kurigram District and Sessions Court Judge Mosammat Esmat Ara Begum
rejected her bail plea and ordered her to be sent to jail.
Soon
after, police escorted her to a prison van.
On the
night of March 13, 2020, journalist Ariful Islam Rigan, Kurigram correspondent
of Bangla Tribune, was picked up from his home by several magistrates and law
enforcement officials. He was blindfolded and threatened with
"crossfire" near the Dharla river shoal, according to the case
statement.
Later, he
was taken to the DC office where he was stripped and brutally tortured. That
night, a mobile court sentenced him to one year in jail, alleging recovery of
half a bottle of wine and 150g of marijuana from his possession.
The
incident sparked outrage across the country, and Ariful was released on bail
the following day.
On March
31, 2020, Ariful filed a case against Sultana and several others.
Following
a High Court order, Kurigram Sadar Thana Police recorded the case.
After a
prolonged investigation, the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) submitted a
charge sheet five years later, implicating former DC Sultana Parvin along with
three former magistrates -- Nazim Uddin, Rahatul Islam, and Rintu Bikash
Chakma.
Speaking
to journalists after the court order, Rigan said, "I was tortured and
imprisoned only for publishing reports. I waited five years for justice.
Today's order proves that no one is above the law. This is not only a relief
for me but also for the entire journalist community."
















