Commissioner stays in Dhaka, roads closed for entry into Gazipur

Gazipur, Tongi College Gate. 14 August, 10:00 am. Not a single vehicle is moving on the Dhaka-bound flyover. Two traffic officers stand at the road’s entrance, with a long queue of halted vehicles below. The reason: the police commissioner is arriving.

The flyover is kept clear for the Gazipur Police Commissioner’s protocol. During this time, commuters, office bound people, and students all face travel disruption. Many people trapped in traffic do not even know that the city’s top law enforcement officer resides in another city.

Gazipur Metropolitan Police (GMP) Commissioner Nazmul Karim Khan lives in Dhaka, commuting daily from his Gulshan residence. On his way to Gazipur, the flyover at Tongi College Gate is made one-way, blocking traffic from Gazipur to Dhaka. Similarly, on his return via the Bhogra area flyover, Dhaka-bound traffic is stopped.

On 14 August at 10:15 am, these correspondents started traveling from Gazipur toward Dhaka. At Tongi College Gate, police stopped vehicles at the flyover entrance. When asked why, two duty traffic officers, Rafiqul Islam and Shahidul Islam, said, “The Commissioner is arriving from Dhaka now, so vehicles cannot enter the flyover. Once ‘Sir’ reaches Gazipur, all lanes toward Dhaka will reopen.”

This creates long lines in the Dhaka-bound lanes. Abdul Matin, a CNG auto-rickshaw driver, told Prothom Alo, “Except Fridays and Saturdays, almost every day from morning to noon, no vehicles are allowed on the flyover toward Dhaka. This causes severe congestion in the adjacent lanes.”

An internal police report confirms this practice. It notes that when Commissioner Nazmul Karim Khan travels from Dhaka to Gazipur, no vehicles are allowed on the Dhaka-bound flyover from 8:00 am to 11:00 am or 12:00 pm in noon. Similarly, when he returns to his Gulshan residence in the evening, Gazipur-bound lanes are closed, causing serious inconvenience for commuters, students, and office-goers.

Prothom Alo spoke to Commissioner Nazmul Karim Khan on 14 and 21 August. He said, “Simply put, disturbances happen when I go to Gazipur. Secretaries and advisers travel around Dhaka with protection, yet no disturbance occurs. I don’t have a residence there. I had requested a bungalow in Gazipur to move my family there. You should write a news report for a bungalow to be built.”

Commissioner Nazmul Karim Khan was appointed GMP Commissioner on 11 November last year. On 1 May this year, he became President of the Bangladesh Police Service Association.

Multiple GMP officers told Prothom Alo that there is no government residence in Gazipur for the commissioner. Therefore, he commutes from his Gulshan residence. Two other Additional Commissioners, Zahidul Hasan and Taherul Haque Chauhan, also live in Dhaka and commute similarly.

Questions have arisen about the white Prado car the commissioner uses. It is unclear whether it is government-owned or private. No full registration number was visible.

An internal police report states that when Muhammad Ibrahim Khan was deputy commissioner (traffic), he purchased a car for the current commissioner. It is a while car, with registration number “Dhaka-694 Sh.” Ibrahim Khan allegedly used funds obtained from seized vehicles for this.

Muhammad Ibrahim Khan, formerly of GMP under the previous Awami League government, was made OSD in the Ministry of Home Affairs’ Public Safety Division on 25 February. On 6 August, he was attached to the Khulna Range DIG office.

When asked, Commissioner Nazmul Karim Khan told Prothom Alo, “I don’t trust hearsay. Send the report to me. Investigations should be done. I suspect it might have involved some adviser too. If it came to me, he might have managed others too. Why isn’t it being investigated?”

Attempts to reach Muhammad Ibrahim Khan by phone were unsuccessful. He was contacted by SMS too, but to no avail.

According to police records, Ibrahim Khan, while deputy commissioner (Lalbagh Division, DMP), allegedly assisted a land grabber in Old Dhaka to encroach a piece of land owned by a freedom fighter. He was temporarily suspended on 11 September 2019, and later transferred to Gazipur.

Visiting Gazipur in person reveals that after the mass uprising, workers in the industrial city frequently protest on the streets over various demands. Garment workers and others block roads and march, often paralysing the city. Students also stage demonstrations. During such times, senior police officers must be present for monitoring, decision-making, and coordination. Absence of the Commissioner makes it harder to manage the situation.

Commissioner Nazmul Karim Khan said regarding this issue, “There is industrial police for the industrial city. If the workers come onto the metropolitan roads, then ask the industrial police why the workers from their area are coming into the city. In that case, instruct the industrial police to take necessary measures. Similarly, students are supposed to be in school; if they occupy the streets instead of attending school, doesn’t the school authority bear responsibility for that?”

Meanwhile, a series of incidents in Gazipur city—including snatching, extortion, abduction, rape, and murder—has created an atmosphere of extreme fear among the local residents. Due to the widespread drug problem, parents are deeply concerned about their children. Many in civil society believe that because Commissioner Nazmul Karim Khan cannot be present in the area at all times, proper supervision suffers, and even subordinate officers tend to be lax.

However, it is not only the current commissioner; some previous commissioners of Gazipur Metropolitan Police also used to reside in Dhaka. At that time, the overall political and law-and-order situation was relatively stable.

But after the mass uprising on 5 August last year, civil society feels that for police to be reorganised, morale restored, and to handle emergent situations effectively, the continuous presence and heightened supervision of senior officials are essential.

Regarding this, Iftekhar Shishir, general secretary of Shushashoner Jonno Nagorik (Shujan), told Prothom Alo, “It takes time to travel from Dhaka to Gazipur. Gazipur Metropolitan is now a safe haven for criminals. Any incident can happen at any time here. As a responsible officer, it is expected that the GMP Commissioner remain present in Gazipur at all times. He should take an active role in observing, monitoring, and coordinating efforts on the ground to maintain overall law and order in the city.”