Police officer suspended for alleged blackmailing of Bangladesh Bank official

The police officer, who allegedly tried to blackmail a Bangladesh Bank official, has been suspended.

Central bank’s Golam Rabbi, who works in the communication division, alleged that Sub-Inspector Masud Shikdar did not take him to a police station but kept him confined in his vehicle in a bid to extort money from him on the night of Jan 9.

DMP spokesperson Maruf Hossain Sardar told bdnews24.com that the officer of Mohammadpur police has been suspended over the allegations, which are being probed.

Sub-inspector Shikdar had been taken-off duty on Jan 11. His suspension comes two days after Bangladesh Bank Governor Atiur Rahman wrote to the IGP over the blackmailing ‘attempt’.

A former student of Dhaka University, Rabbi has, in the past, worked as a news anchor at a Dhaka-based TV station.

Around 11:30pm on Jan 9, he was stopped by police in the Mohammadpur area and first subjected to a body search. Then he was asked to pay up or face prosecution as a Yaba dealer and addict.

Rabbi said he was returning from a relative’s home when he was accosted by the police.

"Even when I told them I work for Bangladesh Bank, SI Masud abused me in foul language," Rabbi said.

However, SI Shikdar told bdnews24.com that Rabbi had not been dragged to the police station keeping in mind  his social position as an official of Bangladesh Bank. "We detained him because he failed to explain what he was doing in that area so late at night."

Police came under fire after the incident . Students of Dhaka University have also demonstrated and demanded the police officer’s dismissal.

Mohammadpur Zone’s Police Assistant Commissioner Hafiz Al Faruk was tasked to probe the allegations.

He said he would file a report ‘very soon’. 

Initial investigations revealed that the allegations were true, according to sources in the police.