An investigation report by the Chittagong Metropolitan Police (CMP) has exposed a major corruption scandal involving the Bakalia Police Station. According to the inquiry, officers seized 100,000 Yaba tablets from a fellow police constable but subsequently misappropriated the illegal narcotics and released the carrier under the explicit instructions of the Officer-in-Charge (OC).

The incident occurred on 8 December last year but only came to light after an audio recording of a conversation between the drug courier and another individual circulated on social media. Following the leak, a probe committee led by Additional Commissioner (Traffic) Md. Wahidul Haque Chowdhury was constituted. The resulting six-page report, submitted to Police Headquarters on 29 April, recommended both departmental actions and criminal prosecutions, though a formal regular case has yet to be registered and the missing narcotics remain unrecovered.

The Illicit Seizure and Release Operation

The inquiry detailed that Constable Imtiaz Hossain, who was serving as a judge’s gunman at the Cox’s Bazar District Court, was transporting a luggage bag containing 100,000 Yaba tablets on a Dhaka-bound Desh Travels bus. He had reportedly been promised Taka 80,000 by a supplier named Md. Mosharraf to deliver the consignment from Cox’s Bazar to Chittagong.

As the vehicle crossed the Shah Amanat Bridge over the Karnafuli River, Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Saddam Hossain and a plainclothes police source boarded the bus. They detained Hossain, who identified himself as a police officer, and escorted him to a nearby police outpost. The bus supervisor, Md. Mizan, followed them to the outpost but was ordered to leave by Sub-Inspector (SI) Amir Hossain, allowing the bus driver to proceed to Dhaka.

Inside the police outpost, the plainclothes source opened the luggage in the presence of Bakalia Inspector (Investigation) Tanveer Ahmed and SI Al-Amin Sarkar. Upon confirming the presence of ten packages containing 10,000 tablets each, the officers confiscated the narcotics but returned the empty luggage to Hossain. Under the direction of Bakalia OC Aftab Uddin, Hossain was permitted to leave the premises without facing arrest, subsequently fleeing to his village home in Comilla via a hired three-wheeler.

Statutory Violations and Disciplinary Measures

The investigation concluded that OC Aftab Uddin deliberately attempted to cover up the incident by failing to preserve CCTV footage of the scene and neglecting his legal duties. The report noted that under Section 46 of the Narcotics Control Act 2018, drug offences are cognizable. By releasing a suspect without filing a First Information Report (FIR) or preparing a seizure list, the OC violated Regulation 244 of the Bangladesh Police Regulations (PRB) and committed an offence under Section 29 of the Police Act.

While Constable Hossain and eight lower-tier police officers were suspended immediately after the initial findings, administrative action against the senior inspectors required higher authorization. Under police protocols, Commissioners and Superintendents hold the authority to suspend personnel up to the rank of SI, whereas the suspension of an Inspector must be approved by the Inspector General of Police (IGP). Consequently, Inspector Tanveer Ahmed was finally suspended on 9 June, whilst Aftab Uddin—who has since been transferred to Kotwali Police Station—remains active despite the findings.

When questioned, Aftab Uddin denied the allegations, stating:

“I know nothing about the Yaba tablets. I did not misappropriate them. I was at my residence when the incident occurred.”

Current Disciplinary Status of Accused Personnel

The following table tracks the administrative status and specific roles of the police personnel implicated in the misappropriation of the seized narcotics:

Call for Criminal Prosecution

Legal experts have criticised the delay in initiating criminal proceedings. Abdus Sattar, the former president of the Chittagong District Bar Association, emphasised that the desk officers committed a serious crime by freeing an active drug smuggler. He noted that a formal criminal case must be opened to determine why an FIR was withheld and whether any unlawful financial benefits were exchanged.

Currently, an internal departmental investigation against the eight lower-ranking suspended officers is being led by CMP Additional Deputy Commissioner (West) Abdullah Mohammad Sheikh Sadi, who confirmed that the inquiry is ongoing. Meanwhile, the newly appointed Chittagong Metropolitan Police Commissioner, Hasan Md. Shawkat Ali, stated that his administration maintains a policy of zero tolerance against narcotics, promising to investigate why a regular criminal case had been delayed for over six months.