Police have shown former Cantonment Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Md Rakibul Hasan arrested in a sedition case after an audio clip containing his remarks about the government and various law enforcement agencies went viral.
The Detective Branch (DB) of police produced him before the Dhaka Chief Metropolitan Magistrate’s Court on Thursday evening and sought a seven-day remand.
Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Additional Commissioner (DB) Md Shafiqul Islam said that police filed the sedition case against Rakibul with Cantonment Police Station on Thursday before showing him arrested and sending him to court seeking a seven-day remand.
The audio surfaced on social media on September 16, when Rakibul was serving as Cantonment OC. In the recording, he was heard commenting on Sheikh Hasina’s possible return to Bangladesh, the strength of the police force and the political affiliations of senior police officers. He also alleged financial transactions and other irregularities in police postings.
After the audio drew attention, Rakibul was withdrawn from Cantonment Police Station the following day and attached to the Central Reserve Office of the DMP headquarters and administration division in Rajarbagh, citing “administrative reasons”.
The DMP also formed a three-member committee to investigate the matter.
Police officials had earlier said Rakibul was taken to the DB office in Minto Road on the night of September 17. However, DB chief Shafiqul Islam denied the following day that he had been taken there. Rakibul’s whereabouts remained unclear for about a week.
Shafiqul said the investigation committee submitted its report to the DMP commissioner on Wednesday, following which a decision was taken on Thursday to file the sedition case.
In the audio, Rakibul was heard saying that Sheikh Hasina was expected to return in December and that the police would be unable to do anything if she returned, describing the police on the streets as “extremely weak”.
He was also heard alleging that senior police officers were supporting the BNP while lower-ranking officers were not, and questioning whether officers should be allowed to benefit while others did the work.
Rakibul further alleged that money was being exchanged for OC postings and that incompetent officers were being appointed while qualified officers were sidelined.
The DMP said the case was filed over allegedly spreading anti-state and provocative remarks on social media and that police sought seven days’ remand to investigate the case and uncover what it described as the “main conspiracy” behind the incident.
