Local people formed a human chain in front of the Pirganj Press Club on Saturday demanding the withdrawal and removal of Officer-in-charge Zakir Hossain of Rangpur's Pirganj police station for his alleged involvement in harassment of people by filing false extortion cases and taking bribes.
He was recently withdrawn and attached to the district police lines but apparently has defied that order.
The protesters also demanded the withdrawal of the false extortion cases filed against several helpless people who had testified against the OC to the probe committee formed after a video of the OC taking bribes went viral.
Hundreds of people from all walks of life, including freedom fighters, joined the human chain that started at 11am holding banners and festoons depicting various misdeeds of the OC.
The protesting people who joined the human chain from different areas claimed that they were obstructed by police on their way.
They demanded immediate punishment of the police official.
Speakers at the human chain said that Pirganj is the constituency of Parliament Speaker Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury. Pirganj police station is one of the places of trust for 500,000 people in 15 unions and one municipality of this important area.
Zakir Hossain started taking bribes freely after joining the police station as the OC. Along with this, he has been carrying out various wrongdoings including embezzlement of money through unethical bribery by registering false cases in exchange for large amounts of money, taking money from both the plaintiff and the defendant parties, they said.
Most recently, a video of him taking bribes from businessmen illegally extracting sand from various rivers went viral on social media, prompting uproar in Pirganj upazila and eventually the entire district.
As the matter came to the notice of Rangpur Superintendent of Police Ferdous Ali Chowdhury, he formed an investigation committee headed by Additional Superintendent of Police Kamruzzaman.
The investigation committee submitted a report after investigating the facts of the incident.
On April 24, after receiving the report, OC Zakir Hossain was withdrawn and attached to the district police lines.
The speakers alleged that even after receiving the withdrawal order, OC Zakir Hossain mysteriously remained in his post and took revenge against the people who gave evidence against him and harassed them in various ways including by filing extortion cases.
They demanded the authorities immediately take into consideration the report of the investigation committee on the removal of OC Zakir Hossain and form a strong panel to probe into his various other misdeeds.