About 34 years ago, Ali Hossain Hawladar from Chouaripara village of Saliabakpur Union in Banaripara Upazila lost his job as a police constable. He is now seeking to regain his position.
On Monday, he submitted a written appeal to the Home Advisor regarding this issue.
In his appeal, Ali Hossain stated that he was working as a constable at the New Mooring Police Outpost under the Chittagong Port Police Station in 1990.
On May 5, 1990, he seized a truck carrying a consignment of illegal Benson cigarettes and whiskey smuggled from a ship on the Karnaphuli River.
He detained four individuals along with the illegal goods and handed them over to the Port Police Station.
However, for reasons unknown, the then officer-in-charge (OC) and senior police officials rebuked him and released the detainees along with the seized goods.
Later that year, on June 5, a theft occurred late at night at a marine workshop in the Chittagong Port area.
Three individuals were caught red-handed by the workshop guards with the stolen goods and handed over to the police.
A case was filed at the Port Police Station on June 6. That same day, the suspects were brought back to the station after being remanded by the court. However, late that night, the suspects escaped from the station’s lockup.
After an investigation, a case was filed on June 16 regarding the escape.
Allegedly, a conspiracy ensued, implicating Ali Hossain and another constable, Abdul Hannan, in the incident.
Both faced departmental charges and were also named as accused in two separate cases filed on the same day (June 16, 1990).
As a result, Ali Hossain was dismissed from service on August 29 of the same year following the departmental proceedings. Being an accused in the regular cases, he could not immediately appeal for reinstatement.
Later, in 1994, after being proven innocent in court, Ali Hossain applied to the Ministry of Home Affairs on May 30, seeking reinstatement. However, even after 30 years, he has not been reinstated.
In his recent appeal, Ali Hossain said that he became a target of police officials for seizing smuggled goods.
He claimed he was unfairly dismissed from service after being falsely implicated in two cases.
Losing his job plunged his family into a life of hardship. Having failed to receive justice during previous political regimes, he now hopes to regain his position through fair judgment under the interim government formed after the student and public uprising.