The investigation is of utmost importance for ensuring justice. When investigations fail to uncover the entire truth, this not only lets criminals walk free but also denies justice to the victims.

Experts said when criminals get off scot-free due to incomplete investigations, they get encouraged further to commit crimes again and again.

Contacted, Superintendent of Police (Media and Public Relations) of the Police Headquarters Enamul Haque Sagor told the Daily Sun that there are guidelines on investigation that clearly specify investigations should be complete.

“There’re directives for complete investigations and even a complete first information report (FIR),” he said.

However, analysing some cases, it has been found that investigation officers skipped some issues during the probe which let criminals remain out of touch.

Shahdat Hossain, a member of Rapid Action Battalion-11, filed a case against one Tarikul Islam at Siddhirganj Police Station in Narayanganj on 11 February 2022 after he was arrested from the area with a passport made with fake documents.

On 27 January this year, Sub-Inspector (SI) of the police station Humayun Kabir placed a supplementary charge sheet against Tarikul with a Narayanganj court, stating that the accused managed to get the passport with forged documents.

However, the officer did not cover those who helped Tarikul get the documents and passport. The liabilities of the police's Special Branch officer and the passport office concerned were omitted.

About the issue, the SI said. “I’ve just investigated the documents on the passport. If the court orders me to look into the role of the SB officer, passport office and others, I’ll do it.”

Miscreants shot Sharif Chowdhury to death at Central Eidgah Maath in Purba Islam Nagar in Kamrangirchar of the capital on 9 September 2018.

Hazi Mohammad Farhad Alam, elder brother of the deceased, filed a murder case against unknown people at Kamrangirchar Police Station the following day.

Police arrested one Rabiul Islam Robin who gave a confessional statement before a Dhaka court stating that he and 12 other people – Monir, Gulzar, Abul Hossain, Delwar Hossain, Hazrat Ali, Kiron, Masum, Sonai Masud, Helen, Dariwala Hazrat, Datbhanga Delu and Adar – were involved in the murder.

He also disclosed the name of the man whose firearms were hired for the killing mission.

In the statement, Robin said he brought the firearms from Delwar Hossain at Zinjira of Keraniganj.

But Mostafa Anwar, the investigation officer (IO) of the case, submitted a charge sheet before a court without incorporating the name of Delwar in the case.

Besides, he dropped the names of nine other accused Robin mentioned in the statement under section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.

Advocate Mizanur Rahman and Advocate Ishtiaq Ahmed told the Daily Sun that incomplete investigations create loopholes for criminals to get away scot-free.

As per the law, an investigation officer will have to cover all matters and people related to a crime in his or her investigation.

Otherwise, it will be an incomplete investigation, they said.

On 27 April 2016, former general secretary of Dhaka South City unit of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) Sabbir Hossain and ex-General Secretary of Wari BCL Ashiqur Rahman fired bullets openly at Gulistan. Many others accompanied them during a hawker eviction drive.

On 10 April 2018, police placed a charge sheet before a court without touching the issue of the firearms and their sources.

On 28 September 2015, Italian citizen Cesare Tavella was shot to death at Gulshan in the capital.

Nine months later on 28 June 2016, police placed a charge sheet with a Dhaka court without mentioning which firearms were used in the killing mission.

Two pistols were recovered, but later laboratory reports stated that the firearms were not used for killing Tavella.

On 23 October 2015, a bomb attack was carried out on a Tazia procession in Old Dhaka, which left two persons dead and about 100 others injured.

Six years later in March 2022, a Dhaka court delivered its verdict. The judge in his observation said the mastermind of the incident got off scot-free due to the weak investigation by the investigation officer.

Dr Tawohidul Haque, an associate professor at the Institute of Social Welfare and Research at Dhaka University, told the Daily Sun that many rent firearms to criminals for murder and other crimes.

“If an arms provider is not included in the charge sheet, it’ll be incomplete. This will inspire the arms renters to rent arms many more,” he said, underscoring the need for complete investigations to bring down the rates of crimes.