Sylhet District’s ‘Best OC’ Withdrawn Over Multiple Allegations

Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Companiganj Police Station, Shafiqul Islam Khan, was selected as the ‘Best OC’ in Sylhet district only last February. But within four months, multiple allegations have surfaced against the officer. As a result, he has been withdrawn from the police station and attached to the Police Lines.

He was withdrawn through an order signed by Sylhet Superintendent of Police Chowdhury Md. Jaber Sadek on Thursday.

Police and several local residents said Shafiqul has been accused of assisting smugglers and illegal stone extractors, engaging in illegal financial transactions and extortion. According to the allegations, he facilitated the illegal transportation of stones in exchange for specific amounts of money.

Locals claim that stones were occasionally transported by tractors from the Shah Arefin Tila area to Bholaganj at night under the name of the ‘OC’s line.’ Most recently, stones were transported in this manner without interruption from 3 am to 6 am on March 17.

There are also allegations that money was collected from each trolley, and a portion of the money went to some influential local individuals.

Earlier, allegations had been raised against OC Shafiqul regarding the ‘OC’s line’ and the collection of Tk 200 from each trolley. At the time, he denied the allegations, saying, “The police do not take any money, and no line is operated in my name. The allegations are completely false.”

Recently, however, several photos and videos of extortion allegedly carried out in the name of the police from sand and stone syndicates in different areas of Companiganj upazila spread on social media. The incident has brought the allegations against him back into discussion.

Superintendent of Police Chowdhury Md. Jaber Sadek told Agamir Somoy that specific allegations have been received against Shafiqul Islam Khan. A committee will be formed to investigate the matter. Action will be taken after the investigation report is received. Before that, he has been withdrawn from the police station and attached to the Police Lines.

Several calls were made to Shafiqul Islam Khan’s mobile phone to obtain his comments regarding the allegations, but he did not answer.