An assistant sub-inspector (ASI) of Chun arughat Police Station in Habiganj has been withdrawn from the station and attached to the district police lines after a video allegedly showing him accepting a bribe spread widely on social media.
The officer, Atanu Banik, was removed from his posting through an administrative order on Tuesday afternoon, 6 October. Chun arughat Police Station Officer-in-Charge Mohammad Saiful Islam confirmed the action.
According to police and local sources, a man named Masud Alam uploaded the video on his Facebook page on Tuesday morning. The footage reportedly shows Atanu Banik sitting beside the pond at Chun arughat Police Station. It also appears to show an exchange involving Tk 10,000 and a conversation about involving another person in a criminal case.
The video quickly circulated on social media, prompting discussion and criticism in the local community. Once senior police authorities became aware of the footage, the decision was taken to withdraw the ASI from the police station later that afternoon.
The allegations have not yet been established through an official investigation. Police said the video is believed, at least initially, to have been recorded in March. Authorities are now examining the circumstances surrounding the footage, including when it was recorded and what was being discussed during the interaction.
Officer-in-Charge Mohammad Saiful Islam said the matter was being examined seriously. He added that disciplinary action would be considered against Atanu Banik after the investigation report is submitted.
The administrative move means Banik will no longer perform his duties at Chun arughat Police Station while the matter is being reviewed. Being attached to the district police lines is an administrative arrangement and does not, by itself, establish the allegations made against an officer.
The development has attracted additional attention because a separate video involving another ASI from the same police station was circulated on social media just one day earlier. That footage also reportedly involved an allegation of accepting a bribe.
The appearance of two separate videos concerning police personnel from the same station on consecutive days has fuelled discussion and public dissatisfaction in Chun arughat. Police have not indicated that the two incidents are connected, and no such link has been established from the information currently available.
The latest case also highlights the significance of verifying material circulated on social media before drawing final conclusions. While videos can prompt authorities to begin an inquiry, investigators still need to establish the circumstances in which the footage was recorded and assess the relevant evidence.
For now, Atanu Banik has been withdrawn from his station pending further examination of the allegation. Police have said that any departmental disciplinary action will be determined after the investigation findings are received.
