Police under pressure from cases, arrests, retirements and OSD postings

Cases have been filed against 1,490 police personnel over allegations that they opened fire on students and the public during the July mass uprising. Of them, 68 have been arrested and 57 remain absconding.

In addition, 141 police personnel have been sent into forced retirement.

Another 142 have been placed as Officers on Special Duty (OSD) or attached to various units. A further 93 have been temporarily suspended for allegedly absconding.

The filing of cases, arrests, absconding, temporary suspensions, OSD postings and forced retirements have brought major changes at various levels of the police force.

Some of the police personnel facing disciplinary action have alleged that many officers were made accused in cases without verifying their actual involvement.

Some were not even present at the scene, some were not named on the duty roster, while others were serving in different units at the time. Yet cases were filed against them.

This group also claims that internal conflicts within the police force and political influence led to some individuals being named as accused. As a result, innocent officers are also facing punishment alongside those who were actually involved in the alleged crimes.

Meanwhile, some former and serving police officials believe that officers involved in abuse of power, human rights violations and excessive use of force to suppress protests in the past must face justice.

However, they have also stressed that authorities should take action against them only after proper investigation and on the basis of evidence.

So far, 1,490 police personnel have been named as accused in cases filed over the July mass uprising. Among them, 68 have been arrested.

Those arrested include officials who held positions such as Inspector General of Police (IGP), Additional IGP, Metropolitan Police Commissioner, Additional DIG, Superintendent of Police, Additional Superintendent of Police and Officer-in-Charge (OC) of police stations.

According to Police Headquarters data, 137 police personnel were absent from their workplaces across the country after the mass uprising. Of them, 80 have gradually returned to their workplaces. Fifty-seven remain absconding.

The absconding personnel include DIGs, Additional DIGs, Superintendents of Police, Additional Superintendents of Police, Assistant Superintendents of Police (ASPs), inspectors, Sub-Inspectors (SIs), Assistant Sub-Inspectors (ASIs) and constables.

Khandaker Rafiqul Islam, additional inspector general of police (Crime and Operations), told Prothom Alo that the government has decided to dismiss absconding police personnel with less than 25 years of service through departmental proceedings. Those with more than 25 years of service will be dismissed directly from the force, he said.

Since the mass uprising, 141 police personnel of various ranks have been sent into forced retirement. Most recently, on 23 July, 17 police officials were sent into forced retirement.

Until the national parliamentary election on 12 February this year, 56 police officials had been sent into forced retirement. After the BNP formed the government on 17 February, another 85 police officials were sent into forced retirement.

Meanwhile, 68 police personnel have so far been arrested in cases filed over the July uprising. Several former police officials convicted in crimes against humanity cases are also currently in prison. According to Police Headquarters data, a large proportion of these officials are facing criminal cases.

In addition, 82 personnel of various ranks have been placed as OSDs, while a total of 142 have been attached to different units. Ninety-three personnel have been temporarily suspended under the Government Servants (Discipline and Appeal) Rules, 2018, on allegations of absconding.

Among those suspended are seven DIGs, 12 Additional DIGs, 32 Superintendents of Police, 25 Additional Superintendents of Police and 17 ASPs.

In addition, another 26 police personnel serving in different units have been temporarily suspended in connection with cases filed over the July mass uprising.

A notification issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs on 7 August last year stated that departmental proceedings were under way against 40 officials, from the rank of DIG to inspector, over allegations that they had absconded from their workplaces.

Their BPM and PPM medals were also withdrawn. However, the disciplinary process has sparked debate within the police force.

Some of the officials facing disciplinary action have alleged that many of them were not present at the scenes during the July uprising. Some were not named on the duty roster, while others were serving in different units.

They allege that, under the influence of some powerful police officials at the time and leaders of several political parties, many innocent officers were also implicated in the cases.

After the cases were filed, a series of measures followed, including temporary suspension, OSD postings, attachments to other units and forced retirement.

Officials concerned have claimed that the names of four deputy commissioners, including Additional DIG Mashiur Rahman, who served as deputy commissioner of the Detective Branch of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) during the July uprising, and three police officials holding the rank of Superintendent of Police in the Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) and Anti-Terrorism units, did not appear on the duty roster.

They said that, despite this, multiple murder cases were filed against these officials. Mashiur Rahman and one other official are currently in prison. Two have been attached to the offices of range DIGs. One remains absconding, while another is serving in a unit.

Colleagues of some officials included on the forced retirement list claim that some of them never served as district Superintendents of Police or held important positions in the police force during their long careers. They mentioned DIG Kazi Zia Uddin, DIG Abdullahil Baki and Additional DIG Rebecca Sultana.

According to their colleagues, these officials were known as professional officers and faced no allegations of directly participating in the July uprising. They claimed that the officials faced disciplinary action because of the influence of rival officers or internal conflicts within the police force.

However, Police Headquarters has not provided a separate detailed explanation of the specific reasons behind the administrative decisions taken against these officials.

When contacted, former Additional DIG Rebecca Sultana told Prothom Alo that authorities had sent her into forced retirement after preparing a false and fabricated report claiming that, in her presence, the late Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia had been removed from her residence on Mainul Road in the cantonment. She said, however, that she had no duty there that day and was working at Police Headquarters at the time.

When contacted on Saturday, Rebecca Sultana told Prothom Alo that her name had been included in the list for promotion to DIG this time.

She alleged that a group behind the scenes had removed her from the police force to secure the promotion for one of its preferred candidates.

She said she had also been overlooked for promotion on previous occasions. She had been denied promotion during the previous Awami League government as well.

During her career, she served as an Additional Deputy Commissioner in the Media and Public Relations Division of the DMP. She was later transferred to Police Headquarters, where she most recently served.

She never served as a district SP. The former police official said that she has been treated unfairly. She wants justice for that.

Among the 57 police personnel who remain absconding are several officials who held important positions during the Awami League government, whose activities are currently banned.

They include former Special Branch (SB) chief Monirul Islam; former DMP Commissioner Habibur Rahman; former DMP Detective Branch chief Mohammad Harun-or-Rashid; former DMP Additional Commissioner Syed Nurul Islam; joint commissioners Biplob Kumar Sarker and SM Mehedi Hasan; and Additional Deputy Inspector General (Additional DIG) of the DMP Headquarters Proloy Kumar Joardar.

Several other officials are also absconding, including former Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Gulshan Police Station BM Farman Ali, former OC of Pallabi Police Station Apurba Hasan and former OC of Dhaka district Kazi Mainul Islam.

They have been accused of playing a role at the grassroots level in suppressing the opposition at the time. In addition, they face various allegations, including abuse of power and human rights violations, during the previous government.

Following the mass uprising, they did not return to their workplaces, fearing prosecution. Relevant sources said that some of them had fled the country.

Police Headquarters also said that eight cases, including murder cases, have been filed against Mohammad Ali Mia, former head of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and additional IGP, who was sent into forced retirement.

Former Rangpur Metropolitan Police Commissioner Md Moniruzzaman, who received a 10-year prison sentence in the murder case of Rangpur's Begum Rokeya University student Abu Sayed during the July uprising, was also sent into forced retirement. He faces six other criminal cases.

Police Headquarters said that, despite facing allegations and criminal cases, many influential police officials, including Mohammad Ali Mia and Moniruzzaman, have yet to be arrested.

According to sources at the Department of Prisons, 68 former police officials are currently in prison after being arrested in various cases. They include former IGP AKM Shahidul Haque, former DMP Commissioner Asaduzzaman Mia, former Additional IGP Iqbal Bahar, former Gazipur Metropolitan Police Commissioner Molla Nazrul Islam and former Chattogram Metropolitan Police Commissioner Md Saiful Islam.

Others in prison include former Additional DIG Md Shahidullah, former Deputy Commissioner of DMP's Mirpur Division Jasim Uddin Molla, former Superintendent of Police (Supernumerary) Md Abdullahil Kafi, former Additional Superintendent of Police Alep Uddin, former Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Gulshan Police Station Mazharul Islam and former OC of Jatrabari police station Abul Hasan.

Prison sources further said that former Noakhali Superintendent of Police Mohammad Asaduzzaman and former Deputy Commissioner (Administration) of DMP Headquarters Tanvir Salehin (Emon) were recently released from prison on bail.

Several former police officials have also been convicted in cases involving crimes against humanity related to the July mass uprising. Former IGP Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun became a state witness, or approver, in two cases. The International Crimes Tribunal sentenced him to five years in prison.

Former SI Abdul Malek and former constable Mukul Chokdar were sentenced to death in a case involving the killing of seven people in Ashulia, including the burning of the bodies of six victims.

In the same case, the International Crimes Tribunal sentenced former Superintendent of Police Abdullahil Kafi to life imprisonment. These convicted former officials are currently in prison.

Khandaker Rafiqul Islam, additional inspector general of police (Crime and Operations), told Prothom Alo that the process of issuing Red Notices against police personnel who have been sentenced to prison in various cases is under way.

Several police officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that a large number of experienced police officers are now outside the force because of criminal cases and administrative measures. This has created a shortage of experienced police officials, they said.

The situation has also affected police personnel working at the grassroots level. The officials said that if the situation continues, maintaining law and order will become a major challenge for the police.

Former IGP Md Abdul Quayyum told Prothom Alo, "One of the key expectations of the July movement was to ensure justice. During the previous fascist regime, some police personnel committed crimes and violated human rights by abusing, torturing and killing people after acting overzealously and disregarding professionalism and the law. Exemplary punishment must be ensured for them. However, authorities must take action against accused personnel only after proper investigation and gathering evidence. No innocent person should be brought under punishment. No innocent police officer should be denied promotion or dismissed from service."