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Published : 05 May 2025, 02:39 PM
The chief of Kalabagan Police Station and two sub-inspectors have been temporarily suspended for allegedly entering a house at the dead of night, accompanied by criminals, and vandalising it after identifying themselves as DB officers and demanding extortion money.
The incident occurred at the house of educationist and columnist Abdul Wadud on the night of Apr 29. He filed a complaint to the DMP commissioner over the incident.
Under the circumstances, Officer-in-Charge Moktaruzzaman and sub inspectors Belal and Mannan have been temporarily suspended, said Deputy Commissioner Masud Alam of the Ramna Division.
He said, "The DMP Headquarters formed a probe committee based on a complaint. Under this context, initially, the OC and two sub inspectors were withdrawn and attached to the Ramna Division. Later, all three of them were temporarily suspended.”
Further measures will be taken based on the probe committee’s report, he said.
Inspector (Investigation) Rafiqul Islam of Kalabagan Police Station said, “OC Moktaruzzaman handed over everything and left yesterday. He has been removed.”
According to the complaint by Sonargaon Road resident Wadud to the DMP commissioner, a police team led by SI Belal and a group of 15-20 criminals stormed in his house on Apr 29 night.
He filed the complaint on May 2, but the date of acceptance was written as May 4. Afterwards, the OC and two SIs were temporarily suspended.
Describing the incident, the victim said: “During the incident, my building manager called 999 and one team of police arrived at the scene. Soon, two vehicles of the Shahbagh and New Market police stations’ patrol teams arrived at the main road adjacent to my home. My manager saw the Kalabagan OC asking the New Market and Shahbagh patrol teams to go away.”
Wadud complained that the Kalabagan OC ordered his tenant, sexagenarian Lal Mia, and his night guard Lutfor, to be taken into the police car.
"Meanwhile, a police team led by SI Belal entered my house and tried to break down the doors. They broke one door, and while they were trying to break the second one, I called the Kalabagan OC on the mobile seeking his help. He asked me to come out of my house with the police and cooperate with ‘DB’ people.”
Without any options, he prepared to go to the police station with the police. The moment he opened the door, SI Belal and SI Mannan shoved him inside the room.
The complaint said, “They (police and criminals) ransacked the house looking for something. After a while, police officer Mannan took me to a corner and said I wouldn’t have to go to the police station if I could give them Tk 10 million.”
"When asked what case was filed against me, they said there was no case but they came only for money. If I didn’t pay, 10 cases would be filed against me.”
After negotiation, Wadud gave Tk 200,000 to Belal and Mannan, he said.
“They made me pledge to pay them the rest within banking hours and left three plainclothes people to guard me before leaving. They identified themselves as DB police. Before leaving, SI Belal forcefully made a video statement of me saying my house had not been damaged.”
Wadud has a mini-zoo at his house licensed by the government and has been keeping deer there since 2006. Macaw, cockatoo, rainbow lorikeet and other rare and foreign species of birds were taken, he complained.
The victim also alleged that police took away his computer, laptop, and CCTV camera hard disk. The Kalabagan OC supervised the six-hour-long illegal raid, standing on the road beside the house.
The OC returned the laptop on May 1, but had yet to return his other belongings, Wadud said. He requested a “proper and fair” investigation of the incident and necessary actions taken on it.
