26 members of various Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) units and divisions are to be sacked having failed dope tests.
The development came following the DMP’s decision to conduct dope tests for members of the law enforcement agency. Over one hundred policemen have so far been tested for drug use.
Most of the policemen who failed the dope test are addicted to yaba and marijuana.
Their dismissal from the DMP is in process, said DMP Commissioner Md Shafiqul Islam to Dhaka Tribune on Saturday.
Police sources said that on a number of occasions, senior police officials including the chief of police have warned that no one would be spared if found involved with dealing in narcotics or using drugs. There have been many allegations against the police concerning their involvement in the drug trade and their personal drug abuse.
DMP sources said the 26 police personnel being fired include a traffic sergeant, four sub-inspectors, three assistant sub-inspectors, a nayek, and 17 constables.
The DMP commissioner said: “I have said at meetings of different unit’s after joining, to tell me if any of them are addicted to drugs so we can arrange for their treatment. Policemen who are involved with drugs or helping drug traders will be arrested and prosecuted.”
“I informed the IGP and talked about taking a hard line in this regard. Then we held meetings with different units and decided to take strict action. We first identified a list of suspected drug abusers, scrutinized the list, and finally tested them,” he said.
“We have conducted a dope test for over 100 police officials who were suspected to be taking drugs. Among them, 26 tested positive,” the DMP chief said.
“We believe that if we take action against this group then everyone else will also get a clear message that we are not going to spare anyone. This initiative of ours has helped a lot of people who came back from this path,” he added.
“If they do not come back from this path, they will be punished if found guilty. The process is ongoing,” said the police official.
According to DMP sources, as a result of this initiative of the DMP commissioner, many of the police force who were initially addicted to drugs have stopped taking drugs. But many are still secretly using drugs as well.
In addition to the various units making their own list, the DMP commissioner's own intelligence department, the Intelligence Analysis Division (IAD), is also making a list of policemen addicted to drugs. The source said that each and every one on the list will be tested for drug abuse in phases.
The source also said that a departmental case has already been filed against the police personnel who tested positive in their dope tests. They will be dismissed through a legal process of departmental cases. Most of the policemen caught out in dope tests were assigned to work at police stations and have initially been suspended.
