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Published : 15 Aug 2025, 07:01 PM
The chief advisor’s press secretary has denied having given instructions to police after Dhanmondi police chief (OC) claimed they had acted on his directive before calling the comment “a mistake”.
OC Ka Shai Nu Marma, speaking at Dhanmondi 32 on Friday afternoon, said police were following “instructions” given by Shafiqul Alam.
“You may have noticed that a few days ago our press secretary gave some instructions. We will work according to those instructions,” he said.
The Dhanmondi OC’s comment was referring to remarks Shafiqul made earlier this month to journalists about Awami League programmes planned for Aug 15.
Contacted later on Friday, Shafiqul said he had not issued any orders to police.
“Police get instructions from their chief. Not from us,” he added. “They work under the home ministry. We don’t interfere.”
The press aide explained that journalists had asked him days earlier what the authorities would do if the Awami League held programmes on Aug 15.
“I said Awami League activities are banned. If they hold rallies or meetings on the 15th of August or any other day, measures will be taken according to the rules against a banned organisation.
“This applies on that day as well as any other day. It was a response to a journalist’s question,” he said.
Shafiqul said the reply was not a directive and added that his position does not involve giving instructions to police.
“Why would I instruct the police?” he said. “That’s not my department. There’s an IGP, a DMP commissioner. They work through their own chain of command.
“This doesn’t fall under my scope in the Rules of Business either. Show me where in the government’s Rules of Business it says I can tell the police what to do.”
An NTV Online report quoted Shafiqul at the Foreign Service Academy on Aug 10 as saying: “At present, Awami League activities are banned. The killing of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on the 15 of August was tragic. But this day is like the other 31 days of August. If anyone holds a programme in Dhanmondi or anywhere else, action will be taken under the law.”
After the press secretary’s denial on Friday afternoon, the Dhanmondi OC told bdnews24.com: “We have instructions to prevent the activities of banned organisations. While saying that, his name slipped out by mistake. That was my fault. I am expunging that. I do not want to say anything more. I am very embarrassed.”
Asked if police had any instructions from the press secretary, Dhaka’s Ramna Division Deputy Commissioner Masud Alam said: “Why would there be instructions from the press secretary? Would we work outside our chain of command? We act on the commissioner’s orders.
“There is no scope for carrying out instructions from the press secretary. If there were any, they would come through the police commissioner or the IGP,” he added.
