Bangladesh police officer on study leave in US quits job

Five officers were recently sent into retirement due to ‘ineptitude’ and a ‘lack of patriotism’

A police officer on an educational leave in the US has resigned amid discussions over the recent removal of five of his colleagues.

In a notice dated Oct 31 and published on its website on Sunday, the Public Security Division under the home ministry said the resignation of Utpal Dutt, an additional superintendent of police, was accepted, with retrospective effect from Mar 26.

The title of the notice, however, said he was “sacked”.

Abul Fazal Mir, a joint secretary working at the Public Security Division, told bdnews24.com Utpal had filed a resignation letter.

His colleagues said the officer went to the US for higher studies.

On Oct 31, the government sent two additional deputy inspectors general into early retirement. They are Md Alamgir Alam of the Criminal Investigation Department and Md Mahbub Hakim of the Tourist Police.

On Oct 18, three superintendents of police -- Delwar Hossain Mia and Mirza Abdullahel Baqui of CID and Shahidullah Chowdhury of the Police Headquarters -- were sent into enforced retirement, just two days after Information Secretary Md Mokbul Hossain was removed from his job.

Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan later said that the police officers sent into retirement lacked the “necessary skills and patriotism”.