The Dhaka Metropolitan Police Wari zone deputy commissioner (DC) has been suspended over not taking steps to stop the grabbing of a land belonging to a Liberation War martyr.
On Monday (Aug 26), Ibrahim Khan was withdrawn from his post as deputy commissioner and attached to the police lines.
He has been accused of not taking action after martyr AKM Shamsul Haque Khan’s family filed a case of land grabbing and demolition along with looting during Ibrahim’s term at DMP’s Lalbagh Zone.
The home ministry, however, did not mention the reason behind the suspension in the notification circulated on Sunday that said that Ibrahim has been suspended in pursuance to the Government Servants (Discipline and Appeal) Rules of 2018.
Ibrahim, a Bangladesh Civil Service cadre of the 24th batch, from Brahmanbaria, didn’t receive the call when Bangla Tribune tried to reach him for comments.
The then deputy commissioner of Cumilla, Khan was killed at the Mainamati Cantonment during the 1971 war.
In 2010, the government conferred the highest civilian award Swadhinata Padak on him.
His mother Masuda Khanam was allocated the four-katha plot with holding no 221 at Nawabpur Road in 1975.
The allotment was transferred to Khan’s sons Fazlul Haque Khan and Azharul Haque Khan after her death.
They paid the lease money till 2017 and applied for a renewal in 2018 with Dhaka deputy commissioner.
On Sept 28, 2018, one Jabed Uddin Sheikh reportedly invaded the plot along with his men, demolished the house on it and looted goods worth Tk 50 million.
Md Azharul Hoque Khan’s son Hassan Khan started a case over the incident the next day.
The perpetrators not only demolished the house but also started illegal construction of a basement on the plot shortly after.
Following inaction on police’s part, Azharul lodged a complaint against the then Lalbagh Zone DC Ibrahim.
After the probing the allegations, on May 23, Additional Deputy Inspector General of police (personal management-1) Md Aminul Islam wrote to Ibrahim asking an explanation for his alleged inaction and continuation of the illegal construction.
“You have shown negligence in performing government duty, which is defined as misconduct in Rule No 2(B) of the Government Servants (Discipline and Appeal) Rules, 2018,” he wrote.
He was ordered to provide specific explanation to Islam within 10 working days and his suspension was subsequently put into effect.