An Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) attached to the Chunarughat Police Station in Habiganj district has been withdrawn from active duty following the widespread circulation of a video showing him negotiating and accepting a cash bribe.
The law enforcement officer, identified as Atanu Banik, was covertly filmed whilst managing a legal case file near a pond. In the video, which quickly spread across social media platforms, ASI Banik is seen sitting near the water’s edge in discussion with a citizen, while another individual sits smoking a short distance away. During the exchange, the citizen hands over a sum of cash to the officer.
The audio recording accompanying the footage captures the dialogue between the officer and the civilian. The man can be heard saying, “Here, I kept my word. There is six thousand and four thousand—a total of ten thousand taka.” He adds, “I have followed what you requested.”
However, ASI Banik pushes for more, asking, “Wasn’t the total agreed amount supposed to be fifteen thousand taka?” The man politely defends the sum provided, responding, “No, ten thousand taka. You said ten thousand with your own mouth, and I agreed to ten thousand.” The police official then insists, “Give another two thousand taka.” Shortly afterwards, the citizen is seen handing over an additional one-thousand-taka banknote to the officer.
Although the precise background of the underlying court case and the total financial demand remain partially unclear from the recording, the explicit image of money changing hands alongside requests for additional payments triggered sharp public criticism online.
Incidents of corruption among field-level personnel frequently strain public trust in law enforcement agencies across Bangladesh. Because regular citizens interact most frequently with station-level officers during legal proceedings and police investigations, allegations of extortion undermine the integrity of the justice system. Senior officials swiftly intervened after the video clip gained traction online, reassigning ASI Banik away from Chunarughat Police Station and attaching him to the district police headquarters.
Administrative inquiries and formal investigation proceedings are expected to ascertain the full context of the incident, verify the authenticity of the video, and determine the exact reasons behind the cash transaction. Senior police management confirmed that appropriate disciplinary action will follow depending on the outcome of the departmental inquiry.
