Nurul Kabir harassment happened due to 'blocked list' from Hasina regime: SB Police

The Special Branch (SB) of Police has expressed regret over the incidents at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, where New Age Editor Nurul Kabir reported being harassed by police officers.

In response, the SB launched an investigation into the matter and withdrew the officer accused of misconduct, according to the Chief Adviser's Press Wing.

According to the SB, the incident stemmed from a "blocked list" created during the previous administration led by Sheikh Hasina. 

The list, reportedly containing thousands of names, was used to target politically connected individuals, dissidents, journalists, and rights activists by obstructing their overseas travel.

"After the Interim Government took over, the Special Branch started removing the politically connected people, dissidents, journalists, and rights activists from the blocked list," the SB statement said. 

The statement also said the process of updating the list is largely manual, which has resulted in some names of dissidents and journalists remaining on it.

"We have now expedited our efforts to clean up the list," reads the statement. 

"Once again, we are sorry for the unfortunate incident. Bangladesh police are friends of the people and want to serve the country in an exemplary manner," the statement added.

Earlier, the editor of New Age alleged he faced harassment at the city airport twice this week while flying to and from Colombo to attend a press conference.

In a post on his verified Facebook, Kabir wrote, "The country's immigration authorities have been harassing me at the Dhaka airport every time I go abroad for more than two decades."

On 23 November CA's Press Wing said, "We sincerely regret the incident." The Chief Adviser, Professor Yunus, also ordered an investigation into the incident.