Nazmul Karim Khan has been removed from his position as Commissioner of Gazipur Metropolitan Police (GMP). According to an order signed on Monday, by Inspector General of Police (IGP) Baharul Alam, he has been instructed to hand over charge and report to the Police Headquarters in Dhaka on Tuesday.
The order stated: “You are directed to transfer responsibility to the next senior officer in Gazipur and report to the Police Headquarters, Dhaka, on 2 September (Tuesday).”
Nazmul Karim Khan was appointed GMP Commissioner on 11 November last year. On 1 May this year, he also became president of the Bangladesh Police Service Association.
In recent months, crime under GMP’s jurisdiction has surged. Incidents of mugging have become frequent, causing panic in the streets after dusk. Cases of extortion, abduction, rape, and even killings have risen.
An internal report from Police Headquarters recently described the law and order situation in Gazipur as “very poor.”
It noted that theft, robbery, and mugging had increased, often occurring in broad daylight, while local police station officers-in-charge (OCs) remained largely inactive. The report alleged that OCs collected hefty sums of bribes from drug dealers and muggers.
The report also flagged that Commissioner Nazmul Karim regularly commuted from his residence in Dhaka’s Gulshan to Gazipur. During his travel, sections of flyovers in Tongi’s College Gate area were turned one-way, blocking Dhaka-bound lanes, and on his return, flyovers in Gazipur’s Bhogra area were similarly closed to Gazipur-bound traffic.
These issues have drawn public criticism and were highlighted in reports published by Prothom Alo on 23 August (Fear descends on industrial city after dusk, 19 areas identified as high-risk), 24 August (Commissioner stays in Dhaka, roads closed for entry into Gazipur), and 25 August (22 slums turn into drug haven, police pocket a share).
2 OCs in Tongi transferred
Alongside the commissioner’s removal, the OCs of Tongi East and Tongi West police stations under GMP have also been transferred.
According to Police Headquarters sources, an order issued on Sunday reassigned Tongi East OC Muhammad Faridul Islam to Chattogram Range and Tongi West OC Iskandar Habibur Rahman to Sylhet Range.