Audio Incriminates Police Officer in Tk 1.28 Crore Payoff Claim

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DHAKA, Bangladesh – A Bangladeshi additional superintendent of police faces dismissal from service and five of his subordinates various penalties following a departmental inquiry into allegations they abducted a fellow officer six years ago and extorted BDT 1.42 crore (approximately $1.2 million) in ransom from his wife. The recommendations, if approved, conclude a long-standing investigation that highlighted alleged high-level police corruption.

Additional Superintendent of Police Kaiser Rizvi Quraishi, currently serving at the Armed Police Battalion (APBN) headquarters in Uttara, has been recommended for dismissal under the Government Employees (Discipline and Appeal) Rules, 2018. The inquiry found him guilty of inefficiency, misconduct, and corruption.

The departmental investigation also recommended penalties for five other officers who were part of Quraishi’s team at the time. Police Inspectors Md. Jahidur Rahman and Mizanur Rahman face a one-year halt to their promotions. Sub-Inspector (SI) Masudul Islam is recommended for a one-month salary cut, Assistant Sub-Inspectors (ASI) Prakash Chandra Guha and Md. Julhas Mia for 15-day salary cuts, and Constable S.M. Masud Rana for a three-day salary cut.

The inquiry report, submitted to Police Headquarters, stated that Quraishi bears the responsibility for his team’s actions and cannot evade accountability for their illegal activities. It concluded that the team intentionally committed the offenses through his negligence and collusion in an attempt to conceal the truth.

The allegations date back to November 2020 when then-Sub-Inspector (SI) Aksadud-Zaman of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) was allegedly abducted in Dhaka by a team led by Quraishi, who was then an Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) with the Detective Branch (DB) of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP).

According to the departmental report, Aksadud-Zaman was detained on November 26, 2020, by Quraishi’s team near Mouchak while en route to the CID office and taken to the DB office. He was accused of involvement in the robbery of a Dubai expatriate, Roman Mia, an investigation Quraishi was supervising. Quraishi allegedly demanded BDT 2 crore for Aksadud-Zaman’s release.

During his detention, Aksadud-Zaman used Quraishi’s phone to contact his wife, Tahmina Yasmin. The team then went to Aksadud-Zaman’s home in Khilgaon, collecting BDT 1.28 crore from him and five others who were also allegedly detained. Subsequently, Tahmina Yasmin reportedly paid an additional BDT 1.4 million directly to Quraishi. Aksadud-Zaman was released on November 28, bringing the total alleged ransom to BDT 1.42 crore. An audio recording of Tahmina Yasmin discussing the payment with Quraishi later surfaced on social media.

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This incident was initially investigated by the Home Ministry in 2021, which found the allegations to be true and recommended Quraishi’s temporary suspension and penalties for his team. However, Quraishi was not suspended but transferred to the APBN headquarters, and most of his team members faced no immediate action, except for SI Masudul Islam, who was temporarily suspended and had a month’s salary cut.

Aksadud-Zaman, meanwhile, faced consequences in the Roman Mia robbery case. Based on a DB report, CID temporarily suspended him in August 2021. He later filed a written complaint with the Home Ministry against Quraishi and six DB members. Following the audio leak in September 2021, Aksadud-Zaman was arrested by the DB, permanently dismissed from service, and is currently out on bail in the Roman Mia case, where a chargesheet was filed against him and eight others in May 2022.

Deputy Commissioner Dewan Jalal Uddin Chowdhury of DMP’s Traffic Motijhil Division, who led the recent departmental inquiry, confirmed that the allegations against Quraishi and his team were substantiated and the report forwarded to Police Headquarters. Quraishi, when contacted, stated that he had read the report and “the state or government will decide accordingly.”

Additional Inspector General K.M. Aolad Hossain of Police Headquarters said he had not yet received the file but the spokesperson, Assistant Inspector General A.H.M. Shahadat Hossain, confirmed that the report concerning Quraishi would be sent to the Home Ministry for a final decision.

The handling of the case has drawn criticism from legal experts. Supreme Court lawyer Shahdeen Malik argued that abduction and ransom constitute criminal offenses, which should result in criminal charges and imprisonment for the police officers involved. He suggested that opting for a departmental inquiry, an administrative measure with dismissal as its harshest penalty, appeared to be an attempt to shield the officers from more severe criminal prosecution. This sentiment aligns with a past statement by Law Minister Md. Asaduzzaman, who said in February 2020 that corrupt government officials would not only lose their jobs but also face criminal charges.