Two remanded over PMO red telephone cable theft

A Dhaka court on Friday placed two accused on a five-day remand in a case filed with Shahbagh Police Station over the theft of copper cables from the red telephone line connected to the Prime Minister’s Office at the Secretariat.

The accused are Secretariat outsourcing employee Ranjan Chandra and scrap trader Rezakul Islam.

Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Md Hasan Shahadat passed the order after the investigation officer sought a seven-day remand, said Sub-Inspector Shah Alam of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Prosecution Division.

The two accused were arrested on Thursday, while the stolen cables were recovered from a scrap shop in front of Dhaka University’s Ekushey Hall based on information obtained from them.

According to police, the Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit of Dhaka Metropolitan Police launched a shadow investigation considering the seriousness and sensitivity of the incident.

Police said Ranjan Chandra was arrested following allegations of his involvement in the theft. During interrogation, he reportedly confessed to stealing 8kg 200g of copper wire from Building No 3 of the Secretariat on 22 May.

He allegedly sold the stolen wire to a scrap shop in front of Ekushey Hall at Tk600 per kg, police said.

Following his confession, Rezakul Islam was arrested from the same area.