'Instead of seeking justice for police murders, you are coming after us': Man identifying as AL activist questions Sylhet police chief over viral directive
The incident comes after a directive, signed by the SMP commissioner on 29 September, surfaced on Facebook
An audio recording of a phone conversation between an unidentified caller, claiming to be a grassroots-level Awami League (AL) activist, and Sylhet Metropolitan Police (SMP) Commissioner Abdul Quddus Chowdhury has gone viral on Facebook.
In the leaked call, the man questions the commissioner regarding an earlier directive, which stated, "Awami League activists must not be allowed to appear in public in Sylhet Metropolitan areas."
During the call, the man can be heard accusing the police of unfairly targeting AL activists. "For 16 years, what harm have we done to you that you've now ordered two of our workers to be arrested daily? Instead of seeking justice for the murders of policemen, you are going after us. What have we done wrong?" the caller is heard saying.
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However, police said the caller has not yet been identified.
Speaking to The Business Standard, SMP Additional Deputy Commissioner (Media) Mohammad Saiful Islam, "We are trying to trace the person using information technology and other means. If he is in the country, we expect to detain him soon."
The caller alleged, "So many policemen have been killed, yet no justice is being sought for that. On the contrary, when we demand justice, we are being stopped from even standing on the streets."
At one point, the commissioner can be heard asking him, "Who is stopping you? Who said this?"
The caller then refers to the directive attributed to the commissioner. When asked about his identity, he again claimed to be an AL activist.
The incident comes after a directive, signed by the SMP commissioner on 29 September, surfaced on Facebook.
It stated, "By December 2025, necessary legal measures should be taken to ensure that no members of Awami League or its associate organisations can remain in public within the SMP jurisdiction. ACs, ADCs, and DCs will monitor the matter."
When it went viral, the following day, SMP issued a clarification dismissing the claim as misleading.
In its statement, SMP said, "Certain individuals are spreading confusion on Facebook, attributing false instructions to the police commissioner. In reality, the commissioner, during an internal meeting, instructed officers to monitor activities of banned organisations and prevent them from holding any rallies or public gatherings."
However, the same day (30 September), the commissioner told The Business Standard that the directive contained a "wording error".
"Awami League is a banned organisation. This is a state decision. Our actions are based on that," he said.
He added, "There may have been some wording errors in the directive. We will correct it and resend it."
