Two of them “dragged former three-time prime minister Begum Khaleda Zia out of her cantonment residence during the eviction.”
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Official Logo of Bangladesh Police.
Highlights:
- Govt to send 17 senior cops to compulsory retirement
- 3 women addl DIGs face action over Khaleda Zia’s eviction, arrest, detention
- One officer denies allegations, calls them baseless
Three senior women police officers holding the rank of additional deputy inspector general (Addl DIG) are set to face compulsory retirement over allegations of misconduct during the arrest and detention of former prime minister Khaleda Zia, according to a government proposal.
According to sources, the three officers are among 17 senior police officials whom the government is planning to retire compulsorily over allegations including political loyalty to the activities-banned Awami League, involvement in irregularities during the 2014 and 2018 national elections, repression of opposition activists, and corruption.
According to the document, seen by The Business Standard, Additional DIG Rebecca Sultana, currently serving at the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), and Additional DIG Jesmin Begum of the Naval Police were involved in the eviction of Khaleda Zia from her Cantonment residence in November 2010.
The document alleges that they “dragged former three-time prime minister Begum Khaleda Zia out of her cantonment residence during the eviction.”
It also describes Jesmin as a close associate of former Dhaka Metropolitan Police commissioner Habibur Rahman and alleges involvement in corruption. Repeated calls to her official phone number for comments went unanswered.
Regarding Rebecca, the proposal alleges that classified state information was being passed to fugitive Awami League leaders through her and claims she was a close associate of former home minister Sahara Khatun.
Rejecting the allegations, Rebecca told The Business Standard that she was not present at the scene during Khaleda Zia’s arrest.
“You can verify it from the video footage. I was not there when she was arrested. My promotion is due now. A vested group is spreading these baseless allegations,” she said.
The proposal also names Farida Yasmin, currently serving as joint commissioner (Headquarters) of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police, over her role following Khaleda Zia’s conviction in 2018.
According to the document, Farida escorted Khaleda Zia from court to prison after her arrest and travelled in the same vehicle, actions for which she allegedly received praise from senior officers at the time.
Repeated attempts by TBS to contact Farida on her official phone number for comment were unsuccessful.
According to sources, the Ministry of Home Affairs has already sent the proposal to compulsorily retire the 17 officials to the Prime Minister’s Office for approval, and a gazette notification may be issued within the next couple of days.
The officials include three deputy inspectors general (DIGs), 12 additional DIGs, one superintendent of police (SP), and one deputy commissioner of police.
The document describes the officers as collaborators of the “fascist regime” and alleges that several secured promotions and key postings through political influence during the Awami League government’s tenure.
The DIGs are Mohammad Abdullahil Baki, Walid Hossain, and Sana Shaminur Rahman.
The other additional DIGs are AKM Iqbal Hossain, Mohammad Tabarak Ullah, Mohammad Sarowar Hossain, Bidhan Tripura, Saheli Ferdous, Faisal Mahmud, Hasina Rahman, Kaniz Fatema, and Sultana Nazma Hossain.
Also included are SP Abdur Rahim Shah Chowdhury and Deputy Commissioner Habibur Rahman.
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