Former DB chief Harun-or-Rashid, seven other police officers dismissed
Mohammad Harun-or-Rashid, former additional commissioner (crime and operations) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), has been dismissed from service for remaining absent from his workplace for an extended period without permission. The dismissal will take effect from 6 August 2024.
The home ministry announced his dismissal in a gazette issued on Saturday. It said the charge of absconding against him had been proved beyond reasonable doubt, prompting the disciplinary action under the Government Servants (Discipline and Appeal) Rules, 2018.
According to the gazette, Harun-or-Rashid has been absent from his workplace since 6 August 2024. His dismissal will be effective from that date. He had been under suspension until now.
The gazette said Harun-or-Rashid, a deputy inspector general (DIG)-rank officer, was serving as an additional commissioner at DMP when he remained absent from his workplace without permission from the authority. Several attempts were made to contact him at his present and permanent addresses and through email, but he did not return to work.
In connection with the matter, the police headquarters sent a letter to the home ministry requesting departmental action against him. Subsequently, departmental proceedings were initiated against him on 15 April this year. He was served a show-cause notice seeking an explanation of the allegations but did not submit a written reply or request additional time to respond.
Given the gravity of the allegations, an inquiry officer was appointed on 22 June. The inquiry report, submitted on 6 August, concluded that the charge of abandoning his workplace had been established under Rule 3(c) of the Government Servants (Discipline and Appeal) Rules, 2018.
A second show-cause notice was issued to him on 20 August, but Harun-or-Rashid did not respond to that either.
The government sought the opinion of the Bangladesh Public Service Commission (PSC) on imposing the major penalty of dismissal from service. On 1 October, the commission recommended his dismissal.
The gazette said the decision was taken after reviewing the records of the departmental proceedings, the inquiry report and the PSC's opinion, which established the allegations against him. The president approved the decision on 25 October.
Meanwhile, six other police officers have also been dismissed from service for reasons similar to those cited in Harun-or-Rashid's case. They are former DIG of Rajshahi Range Md Anisur Rahman; former additional DIG of Tourist Police Shyamal Kumar Mukherjee; former superintendent of police in Lakshmipur Tarek Bin Rashid; additional superintendent of police SM Jahangir Hasan; DMP assistant police commissioner Md Moniruzzaman Sarkar; and DMP Traffic Division assistant police commissioner Farhana Taskin.
The gazette cited unauthorised absence from duty, misconduct and failure to return to their workplaces after travelling abroad as grounds for dismissal.
In addition, Kazi Mizanur Rahman, former assistant commissioner of DMP's Tejgaon Division, has been sent into compulsory retirement. An allegation that he had an extramarital relationship was found to be proven, which the notification described as misconduct.