Khulna police commissioner removed amid murder surge

Seven additional DIGs and 13 SPs have also been transferred

Md Zulfikar Ali Haidar has been removed as Khulna Metropolitan Police commissioner amid a rising number of murders in the city.

He was succeeded by Mohammad Zahidul Hasan, additional commissioner of Gazipur Metropolitan Police, who recently received a promotion to Deputy Inspector General (DIG).

A total of 22 officers, including seven additional DIGs and 13 police superintendents (SPs), were also transferred on Monday.

The home ministry issued orders for these reshuffles in separate gazette notifications.

According to the notification, Zulfikar has been made the DIG of the Industrial Police.

Since the fall of the Awami League government, police data shows that nearly 50 murders have taken place within Khulna city alone, with over 45 more in the district. In parallel, more than 50 bodies have been recovered from rivers.

The scale of violence has sparked public outrage.

On Nov 30, two men were shot and hacked to death in broad daylight outside the courthouse. That same night, another man was critically injured in a separate shooting. These attacks have reignited public concern over what many describe as lawlessness.