11 cops suspended for allowing ex-NBR official Matiur to hold private meeting during transit from court to jail

Eleven police personnel, including a sub-inspector, have been suspended in Kishoreganj for allegedly allowing former National Board of Revenue (NBR) official Matiur Rahman, widely known for the "goat scandal" to hold a private meeting while in custody.

The incident took place on 12 August when police were escorting Matiur from Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge's Court back to Kishoreganj district jail, reports Prothom Alo. 

On the way, the police team stopped at a restaurant named "Nirala Haddi", in Narsingdi's Shibpur upazila, where Matiur was allegedly given access to a cabin to meet another person in exchange for bribes.

Confirming the development, Kishoreganj Superintendent of Police Mohammad Hasan Chowdhury told Prothom Alo, "As soon as the matter came to our attention, a three-member probe committee was formed. Based on the report from the committee, 11 officers involved have been suspended and attached to the police lines."

Who got the goat?

The suspended officials include SI Abul Kashem and 10 constables. 

The committee found that while Matiur was kept in a separate cabin, the escorting policemen ate at the restaurant's main hall, which the probe described as a "clear case of negligence of duty."

Restaurant owner Abul Kashem Bhuiyan also said the incident took place at his establishment, and that the CCTV footage matched the viral videos on social media.

Matiur Rahman, arrested earlier this year and held in Kishoreganj jail since April, was later transferred to Kashimpur-2 Central Jail on 26 August.