Two Narsingdi cops withdrawn over drug sale allegations
The accused officials are OC SM Kamruzzaman and Inspector Zakir Hossain
The officer-in-charge of the Detective Branch (DB) in Narsingdi and a court inspector have been withdrawn and attached to Dhaka following allegations that they sold 96 kilograms of seized cannabis.
The accused officials are OC SM Kamruzzaman and Inspector Zakir Hossain.
According to reports, the OC allegedly sold the drugs and distributed the proceeds among his associates.
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On 4 February, a DB team seized 96kg of cannabis from an orchard in Sristigar village under Shibpur upazila and stored it at the DB office, as per a media release issued the next day.
Although official documents indicated that the drugs were sent to the judicial magistrate court, Inspector Zakir later admitted that they were never actually delivered.
Before the supposed transfer, OC Kamruzzaman allegedly sold the contraband and shared the money among his collaborators, Zakir claimed.
On 17 February, a court statement signed by Narsingdi Judicial Magistrate Md Rakibul Haque stated: "On 17 February, documents were presented for the destruction of 96kg of cannabis from the seized evidence of this GD. I saw that the signs in my presence had been destroyed."
Police and court sources, however, said that while seized drugs were previously destroyed in public, such practices are no longer observed.
Defending himself, OC Kamruzzaman said, "Our officers seized the evidence. The destruction list was sent to the court, and the magistrate received it. This order is also in my office. Whether the court has destroyed it or not is their concern, not mine."
A police source alleged that Kamruzzaman sold the drugs for Tk14.40 lakh to a drug dealer named Maya Prodhan from Madhabdi upazila and never sent any of the seized contraband to the court for destruction.
After the allegations surfaced yesterday, both officials were initially attached to the district police lines.
Hours later, Dhaka Range Deputy Inspector General (DIG) AKM Awlad Hossain ordered their transfer to Dhaka.
District Superintendent of Police (SP) Md Abdul Hannan confirmed that the officials were withdrawn based on evidence and allegations.
An investigation committee, led by an additional SP, has been formed and tasked with submitting a report within three days, he added.
