16 BSEC officials sued for confining chairman, commissioners for 4 hours

A case has been filed against 16 officials of the Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission (BSEC) for confining its chairman and commissioners inside a meeting room for four hours on Wednesday (5 March).

The complaint was lodged on Thursday (6 March) by Ashiqur Rahman, the security personnel assigned to BSEC Chairman Khondoker Rashed Maqsood, at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Police Station.

Mohammad Golam Azam, the officer in charge of Sher-e Bangla Nagar Police Station, confirmed that the accused are facing charges of assault, vandalism, and confinement.

The dispute began following the forced retirement of BSEC's Executive Director Saifur Rahman, sparking outrage among officials and employees.

On Wednesday, the BSEC officials staged a protest with four demands, including the reinstatement of Saifur Rahman and the removal of the new chairman and commissioners. 

They confined the chairman and three commissioners inside a meeting room for nearly four hours. The situation was brought under control after army personnel intervened and rescued them.

As a continuation, BSEC officials observed a work abstention on Thursday, calling for the resignation of the chairman and the entire commission. As a result, BSEC's operations remained halted throughout the day.

Meanwhile, on Thursday morning, BSEC Chairman Khondoker Rashed Maqsood and the three commissioners briefed top government officials, including the finance adviser and the secretary of the Financial Institutions Division, about the situation. 

Later in the day, the chairman and commissioners returned to the office around 3pm under strict security measures by joint forces.

Following these developments, the chairman's security personnel filed a case regarding Wednesday's incident. The case names 16 BSEC officials, including former executive director Saifur Rahman, 58, Executive Directors Mahbubul Alam, 57, and Rezaul Karim, 54, and other senior officials such as directors, deputy directors, and assistant directors.

According to the complaint, while a scheduled commission meeting was in progress, a group of officials led by the accused forcibly entered the meeting room and confined the chairman and commissioners. 

They allegedly locked the main gate, disabled CCTV cameras, Wi-Fi, elevators, and electrical connections, causing panic within the commission premises.