Staff Correspondent
The Ministry of Home Affairs has suspended 18 police officers, including high-profile Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Additional Commissioner (DB) Harun-or-Rashid and former Dhaka Range DIG Syed Nurul Islam, for unauthorized absence from duty. The suspensions were announced in an official notification on Sunday.
The suspended officers include 3 DIGs, 6 additional DIGs, 4 superintendents of police (SPs), 4 additional SPs and one assistant SP. They have been temporarily dismissed under the Government Employees (Discipline and Appeal) Rules for the “punishable offense of desertion” and will receive subsistence allowances during their suspension period.
Sources indicate these officers stopped reporting for duty following the fall of the Awami League government in August 2024. Rumors suggest some may have already left the country.
While dozens of police officers were previously dismissed for similar absenteeism, action against the controversial DB Harun was delayed for one year after the government change due to unspecified reasons. The suspension comes exactly a year after the political transition.
The move highlights ongoing disciplinary actions within law enforcement following Bangladesh’s political upheaval last year. Observers note this marks the first major action against Harun, whose unit had been frequently criticized for controversial operations during the previous administration.