33 Police Superintendents to Lose Jobs

At least 33 police cadre officers, known as the architects of the ‘night voting’ during the 11th national election (2018), are being forced into compulsory retirement. These officers from the 20th BCS batch were holding key police posts and serving as Superintendents of Police (SPs) in various districts at the time of the election. While a few were temporarily suspended, most have been on OSDE (Officer on Special Duty). The government has decided to retire them due to their controversial roles in the election and actions deemed anti-July uprising, now that they have completed 25 years of service. The Ministry of Home Affairs is set to issue a notification on the matter soon.

Additionally, at least 33 Deputy Commissioners (DCs) who were serving in various districts at the time may also be forced into compulsory retirement. These BCS Administration Cadre officers from the same 20th batch, who served as Returning Officers for the 2018 national election, are currently all on OSDE. The Ministry of Public Administration has initiated the preliminary process on this matter, according to sources.

Multiple officials from the Ministry of Public Administration and the Ministry of Home Affairs, speaking on condition of anonymity, have confirmed to Agamir Somoy that the DCs and SPs who served during the 11th national election have been on OSDE for over a year. A policy decision has been made to compulsorily retire them as they have now completed 25 years of service.

Previously, on February 20 last year, the interim government had compulsorily retired 22 Deputy Commissioners (DCs) who served during the controversial 2014 election under the Awami League government. A day later, in a Facebook post, then Local Government, Youth and Sports Adviser Asif Mahmud Shojib  Bhuiyan wrote, “SPs who were in charge of 64 districts during the 2018 night voting election will also be forced into compulsory retirement.” Within three days, the Ministry of Home Affairs placed 60 SPs from that time on OSDE, where they remain to this day.

Investigations have revealed that among the 64 SPs during the 2018 national election, at least 29 were from the 20th BCS batch. In addition, at least four other officers of the same batch (holding the rank of SP) who were in key police positions also played a special role in rigging the night voting.

Among these officers, Narayanganj SP Harun ur Rashid and Habiganj SP Bidhan Tripura were temporarily suspended by the interim government. The government has now decided to permanently retire these two officers, along with 31 others from the same batch. The officers of this batch joined service on May 31, 2001. According to that calculation, each of them completed 25 years of service on May 30. Under Section 45 of the Government Servants (Conduct) Rules, the government can retire them without showing cause.

Section 45 of the Government Servants (Conduct) Rules states: “After completion of 25 years of service of any government employee, the government may, in the public interest, at any time, retire him from service without assigning any reason: provided that, in cases where the President is the appointing authority, prior approval of the President must be obtained.”

The list of police officers losing their jobs:

1. Shah Mizan Shafiqur Rahman: SP of Dhaka district during the 2018 election. He was serving as DIG of Sylhet Range until the political change on August 5.
2. Harun ur Rashid: A widely discussed officer during the Awami League regime, he was SP of Narayanganj district. He was promoted to Additional DIG in 2021 and served as Joint Commissioner of DB in Dhaka.
3. Syed Nurul Islam: SP of Cumilla district. He was DIG of Dhaka Range during the July-August student movement.
4. Jihadul Kabir: SP of Chandpur district. He was serving as DIG at PBI in Dhaka.
5. Miraj Uddin Ahmed: SP of Narsingdi district. He was serving with the Railway Police.
6. Dr. Shamsunnahar: SP of Gazipur district.
7. Nur-e-Alam Mina: SP of Chattogram district.
8. Saiful Islam: SP of Barishal district.
9. Mashrukur Rahman Khaled: SP of Kishoreganj district.
10. Elias Sharif: SP of Noakhali district.
11. Anwar Hossain Khan: SP of Brahmanbaria district.
12. Zakir Hossain Khan: SP of Faridpur district.
13. Muhammad Saidur Rahman Khan: SP of Gopalganj district.
14. Shah Abid Hossain: SP of Mymensingh district.
15. Alamgir Kabir: SP of Rangamati district.
16. Moniruzzaman: SP of Thakurgaon district.
17. Barkatullah Khan: SP of Sunamganj district.
18. Mahbubur Rahman: SP of Chuadanga district.
19. Moinul Haque: SP of Jashore district.
20. Khan Muhammad Rezwan: SP of Magura district.
21. Tutul Chakraborty: SP of Sirajganj district.
22. Rashidul Hasan: SP of Joypurhat district.
23. Moniruzzaman: SP of Sylhet district.
24. Sheikh Rafiqul Islam: SP of Pabna district.
25. Gias Uddin Ahmed: SP of Panchagarh district.
26. Saifullah Al Mamun: SP of Shariatpur district.
27. T.M. Mozahidul Islam: SP of Chapainawabganj district.
28. Mehedul Karim: SP of Kurigram district.

Concern among former 33 DCs: Meanwhile, the 33 DCs who served during the 11th national election are living in fear of losing their jobs as they have completed 25 years of service. They were placed on OSDE last February and were serving as Joint Secretaries in various ministries and departments.

They are: Md. Majedur Rahman Khan (Chandpur), Md. Matiul Islam Chowdhury (Patuakhali), Sabina Yasmin (Panchagarh), Dr. Ataul Ghani (Meherpur), Abu Ali Md. Sazzad Hossain (Pirojpur), M. Kazi Emdadul Islam (Sylhet, temporarily suspended), S.M. Mostafa Kamal (Satkhira), Anjan Chandra Pal (Lakshmipur), Mocha. Sultana Parvin (Kurigram), Md. Sarwar Morshed Chowdhury (Kishoreganj), Md. Shahidul Islam (Khagrachhari), Md. Helal Hossain (Khulna), Md. Ali Akbar (Magura), Mohammad Dawood Islam (Bandarban), A.J.M. Nurul Haque (Chapainawabganj), A.Z.M. Aziur Rahman (Barishal), Mohammad Alam Siddiqui (Bhola), Gopal Chandra Das (Chuadanga), Kazi Abu Taher (Shariatpur), Md. Mizanur Rahman (Naogaon), Mohammad Abdul Ahad (Sunamganj), Anar Kali Mahbub (Sherpur), Syeda Farhana Kawnain (Narsingdi), Mahmudul Kabir Murad (Habiganj), Abul Fazal Mir (Cumilla), Moin Ul Islam (Netrokona), Wahiduzzaman (Feni), A.K.M. Mamunur Rashid (Rangamati), S.M. Abdul Qader (Rajshahi), Dr. K.M. Kamruzzaman Selim (Thakurgaon), Kabir Mahmud (Bogura), Md. Mahmudul Alam (Dinajpur), and Hayat Ud Daula Khan (Brahmanbaria).