Police have filed a general diary (GD) over a heated exchange between independent MP Barrister Rumeen Farhana and Sarail Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Monzur Kader Bhuiyan.
The GD was recorded following the incident on Thursday night, which became public on Friday evening. Police are also reviewing CCTV footage to identify people who accompanied the MP to the police station and allegedly engaged in disorderly or provocative behaviour.
Additional Superintendent of Police (Administration and Finance) Arafatul Islam said police record significant incidents through GDs as a formal measure. He said the entry was not a regular case or a personal complaint and that the situation remained under police control.
The incident has sparked conflicting accounts from the two sides. Supporters of Rumeen Farhana alleged that the OC had ignored repeated calls for security during her visits to Durga Puja mandaps.
The OC, however, said police were busy maintaining security across Sarail during the festival and could not assign a separate team to an individual. He also alleged that hundreds of people entered the station without prior notice and created tension.
Videos circulating on social media show a person accusing the OC of taking Tk 30,000 in bribes during the argument. The OC denied the allegation and claimed the person had been coached by the MP Rumeen Farhana, in response, referred to the OC’s political past.
The MP’s personal assistant, Zakir Hossain, said a two-page written list of alleged irregularities, corruption and negligence by the OC was being prepared for submission to senior police officials.
Rumeen Farhana said she wanted to be named as the number one accused if any case was filed over the incident. She said she submitted a complaint against the OC to the district Superintendent of Police on Friday, and was waiting for the authorities to decide on departmental action. She warned that she would announce further programmes if appropriate action was not taken.
The MP went to the police station around 8:00pm on Thursday to seek an explanation for the lack of security during her Durga Puja visits and to raise allegations of irregularities against the OC. She remained in his office until around 9:00pm.
According to Rumeen Farhana, she had called the OC eight to 10 times but he did not answer. The OC reportedly told her, “You are an MP elected by the people; the people will provide you security.”
