Wire of PM’s red telephone stolen, no suspicious information found in probe

Investigators said no evidence of sabotage or any other motive was found in the theft of the wire connecting Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s red telephone at the Secretariat.

Officials said the incident appeared to be a simple case of theft after questioning the accused and analyzing various information, evidence and forensic materials.

After completing the investigation into the case filed over the incident, the Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police submitted a charge sheet against three people.

The accused are Secretariat outsourcing worker Ranjan Chandra (26), scrap dealer Rizakul Islam (32), and Md. Mahabub Hasan (34). All three are currently out on bail. A court granted bail to Ranjan Chandra last Thursday.

Investigators said the cutting and theft of the wire connected to the Prime Minister’s important red telephone raised various questions about security. The incident also drew discussion on social media as it occurred at an important facility like the Secretariat. However, the investigation found no information about any major sabotage plan or other suspicious motive.

CTTC Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) Md. Morshedul Hasan said, “Our investigation found no suspicious information. Based on all the information and evidence, it appeared to be simply a case of theft. Later, a charge sheet was submitted to the court accusing three people in the theft case.”

It is learned that after the Secretariat reopened on June 1 following the government holiday for the last Eid-ul-Azha, employees responsible for the area noticed that the Prime Minister’s red telephone had no connection. Officials from Bangladesh Telecommunications Company Limited (BTCL) later restored the connection. BTCL filed a general diary with Shahbagh Police Station over the incident. A theft case was later filed.

According to case documents, telecommunications copper cables ran from the old No. 1 building of the Secretariat to the new No. 1 building. These cables were used to maintain various important connections including the red telephones of the Prime Minister’s Office, Cabinet Division and Ministry of Public Administration. According to the complaint, around 110 meters of copper cable was stolen from the roofs of the old Secretariat buildings between May 22 and June 1.

After analyzing CCTV footage, information technology data and intelligence information during the investigation, Secretariat outsourcing worker Ranjan Chandra was taken into custody for questioning on June 4. Police said he confessed to stealing the wires during questioning. Based on information provided by him, scrap dealer Rizakul Islam was arrested in front of Ekushey Hall. Later, the stolen copper wires were recovered based on information obtained from him.

Further investigation identified Md. Mahabub Hasan as the buyer of the stolen wires. He was arrested and questioned. According to investigators, Ranjan Chandra cut the cables while working on cleaning duties on the roof of Secretariat Building No. 3. He later removed the outer covering of the wires and separated the copper inside.

Investigators claimed that Ranjan Chandra was unaware of the importance of the wires. They said he cut them out of greed after seeing a large amount of copper wire on the roof. Investigators also said he admitted during questioning to stealing small items on previous occasions.

Following the disclosure of the theft, questions were raised in various quarters about security at the Secretariat. However, after completing the investigation, CTTC said the information and evidence found so far showed no evidence that the theft was carried out for sabotage, disrupting security or any other purpose.