Pabna district police's Detective Branch (DB) Officer-in-Charge (OC) Rashedul Islam was withdrawn within 24 hours following protests by local journalists over allegations involving a video targeting a journalist leader.
He has been withdrawn from Pabna and attached to the Rangpur Range.
The decision was issued on Monday (September 14) in an order signed by Abdullah Al Zahir, Additional DIG at Police Headquarters in Dhaka. The order stated that Rashedul Islam would be attached to the Rangpur Range.
Pabna Superintendent of Police Abu Ashraf confirmed the development.
According to allegations raised against the DB OC, a woman was allegedly held in his office and, in collusion with a group of people, a video containing false and objectionable statements against Pabna Press Club General Secretary Jahurul Islam was produced. The video was subsequently circulated on social media, the allegations said.
The incident triggered protests among journalists working in Pabna. They issued an ultimatum demanding Rashedul Islam's withdrawal within 24 hours and called for those allegedly involved in producing and circulating the video to be brought under the law and punished.
On Sunday (September 13), the Pabna Press Club organised a human chain on Abdul Hamid Road, one of the city's main roads, with the participation of local journalists. The demands were raised during the programme. Later, journalist leaders submitted a memorandum to the Pabna superintendent of police.
At the human chain, journalists alleged that intimidating or holding a woman at an important government facility such as a DB office to record a fabricated video against a journalist leader and circulate it on social media was highly objectionable.
They further alleged that the incident was an attempt to undermine press freedom and damage the social reputation of a journalist.
Pabna Press Club President Akhtaruzzaman Akhtar said withdrawing only DB OC Rashedul Islam would not be sufficient.
He demanded that everyone involved in making the video, as well as those behind the incident, be identified through an impartial investigation and brought under the law to ensure exemplary punishment.
