Unauthorised absence, desertion: Six police officers dismissed
According to home ministry gazettes, the officers were absent from duty for over 60 days and ignored two separate show-cause notices.
The government has dismissed six police officers, including former Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) joint commissioners Biplab Kumar Sarker and Sudip Kumar Chakrabarty, on charges of "misconduct" and "desertion."
The Ministry of Home Affairs issued separate gazettes today (12 August) after receiving approval from the president.
According to the gazettes, the officials dismissed from service are additional superintendent of police Rajon Kumar Dash, who was in charge of 8 Armed Police Battalion (APBn) in Cox's Bazar; DMP assistant police commissioner Golam Ruhani; superintendent of police at the office of the Khulna Range DIG Iqbal Hossain; and deputy police commissioner at the office of the Chattogram Range DIG Kazi Ashraful Azim.
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel
The gazettes stated that the six officers had remained absent from their respective workplaces without permission for more than 60 days and did not return to duty within the stipulated time.
They were subsequently served notices, but none of them joined their workplaces or informed the authorities of their whereabouts, the gazettes added.
It also mentioned that departmental cases were filed against the officers on charges of misconduct and desertion under Rules 3(b) and 3(c) of the Government Servants (Discipline and Appeal) Rules, 2018.
The authorities also issued show-cause notices to the officers, asking them to explain their conduct. None of them submitted a reply, it added.
Investigating officers were then appointed to examine the allegations. Their reports found the charges against all six to have been proved, the gazettes stated.
After receiving the investigation reports, the authorities decided in principle to impose the major penalty of dismissal on the officers and served them a second round of show-cause notices.
Again, none of the officers responded, according to the gazettes.
The authorities then reviewed the investigation reports, the nature and seriousness of the allegations and other relevant matters before concluding that the charges had been proved.
As dismissal is a major disciplinary penalty, the authorities sought the advice of the Bangladesh Public Service Commission (PSC) in accordance with the Government Servants (Discipline and Appeal) Rules, 2018 and the Bangladesh Public Service Commission (Consultation) Regulations, 1979.
The PSC subsequently advised that the officers could be dismissed from service.
The matter was then placed before the president for approval under Rule 4(6) of the Government Servants (Discipline and Appeal) Rules, 2018, as the president is the appointing authority in the case.
Following the president's approval, the home ministry issued the gazettes dismissing the six officers.
Earlier on 1 January 2026, a Dhaka court ordered the freezing of 28 bank accounts and two beneficiary owner accounts held by former DMP joint commissioner Biplob Kumar Sarker and his wife Hosne Ara Begum. The order was passed following a petition by an Anti-Corruption Commission investigation officer.
