Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal on Tuesday claimed that they never said Jhenaidah-4 MP Anwarul Azim Anar was involved in smuggling.
"We never said that MP Anar was involved in smuggling," he said while speaking to the press at an event celebrating the 19th anniversary of the establishment of the Highway Police at the Police Auditorium in Dhakas Rajarbag on Tuesday.
When asked about whether Anars daughter disclosed name of any suspect, the minister said, "It is not possible for minister, IGP, or investigating officer to make any statements until the investigation ends. We will address these issues after the investigation concludes."
Talking about the recent police shooting incident where one police personnel was killed, the minister said training is provided to police personnel on mental health to help reduce their mental stress.
The IGP is currently working to know the underlying causes of the killing and taking measures to prevent similar tragedies in the future, he added.
Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun, inspector general of police, clarified the matter while speaking to reporters at the same event.
The police knew of Kausars illness, Mamun said. A doctor had given Kausar a certificate clearing him to return to duty.
The police are discussing whether more vigilance is needed on such matters, he said.
Police personnel are informed about the stress of the profession during training, the IGP said. Police personnel are also briefed about the pressures that may come after they are transferred to a new location.
After he shot and killed a colleague, Kausars wife told reporters that her husband had a mental illness and had been admitted to a mental hospital.
The familys statement raised questions about how reasonable it was for the police to allow a person with a mental illness to handle an automatic weapon.
The family said that police officials at various levels had said they were not aware of Kausars illness. However, the IGP contradicted their statements on Tuesday.
Around 11:45am on Thursday, Kausar opened fire with an SMG haphazardly, killing Constable Monirul Islam on the northern end of the guard room at the Palestinian Embassy in Dhaka.
Sazzad Hossain Shahrukh, a driver for the Japanese Embassy, was also fired upon by Kausar and injured in the incident.
Moniruls brother Constable Mahabubul Haque has filed a case at Gulshan Police Station over the incident. Kausar has been arrested in that case and remanded into police custody for seven days for interrogation.
Kausar hails from Daulatkhali Darer Para village in Kushtias Daulatpur Upazila. He is the son of freedom fighter Hayat Ali Master. His wife and two sons live at their ancestral home.
The family says that Kausar joined the Bangladesh police on Dec 15, 2005. In 2010, he started showing signs of mental illness.
He did not speak to anyone and had a short temper that was easily exacerbated. While employed as a policeman, he was given several rounds of treatment for his symptoms.
According to the family, Kausar did not use drugs and there were
o major family problems.
It is not yet clear why Kausar opened fire on his co-worker. The police remand petition mentions that Monirul had argued about being on duty with Kausar around 11:45am. Kausar grew agitated at one point and opened fire. —Agencies
