SP Babul in Police Headquarters but yet to join duty

SP Babul was originally supposed to join PHQ after receiving a promotion on June 5, on the day when his wife was killed by unidentified assailants in Chittagong. According to PHQ sources, Babul entered the PHQ premises yesterday morning and met some high officials there. He apparently spent a long time within the office of additional deputy inspector general Habibur Rahman, sources say. An official on duty at the PHQ gate that day confirmed that SP Babul left PHQ premises on foot around 2.15pm. Dhaka Tribune tried reaching SP Babul but he was not available for comment. Yesterday, Shyla Mosharraf, sister-in-law, said that SP Babul went to his office but she would not disclose anything more regarding the matter. AKM Shahidur Rahman, Deputy Inspector General (media) of PHQ, told the Dhaka Tribune that SP Babul has not joined duty yet. He, however, refused to disclose information about his presence in PHQ. Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, however, mentioned that he was aware of SP Babul’s presence in PHQ yesterday. “If SP Babul wants, then he can join duty,” the minister told the Dhaka Tribune. It is still a mystery whether SP Babul has actually joined as neither any of the family members nor anyone from the police administration have affirmed the issue yet. Previously, on July 22, Inspector General of Police AKM Shahidul Hoque, while addressing a program in Chittagong, mentioned that Babul Akter still remains employed but he has not been in contact. We have so far been informed that he is mentally depressed ever since his wife was killed, but we can definitely take action as per departmental rule regarding his absence, he added. Given his position, SP Babul should receive police protection, including a vehicle service from his job. However, police protection has been removed from his office on June 26 and no vehicle has been provided for him yet.