Former Bangladeshi police officer, apprehended by BSF, sent to jail

Kolkata, Aug 24 (IANS) Former Bangladeshi police officer in the Sheikh Hasina government, Md Arifuzzaman, who was apprehended by the Border Security Force (BSF), for entering the country illegally, was sent to jail custody on Sunday.

He was produced at the Basirhat Sub district Court on Sunday, which remanded him in jail custody for 14 days.

On Saturday, the BSF caught the senior police officer in the previous Sheikh Hasina government in Bangladesh while illegally crossing the border in Swarupnagar area of West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district.

The person was identified as former Assistant Commissioner of the Rangpur Metropolitan Police, Md Arifuzzaman, who was trying to enter the country by taking advantage of the inclement weather on Saturday night.

The incident took place at the Hakimpur check post on the India-Bangladesh border of Swarupnagar police station in Basirhat sub-division.

Md Arifuzzaman was the former Assistant Commissioner of Police in-charge of the Rangpur Metropolitan Police.

This high-ranking official had gone into hiding in Satkhira district in Bangladesh after the Muhammad Yunus government came to power in the South Asian nation.

As south Bengal districts have been witnessing heavy rain due to active monsoon wind, the former Bangladeshi police officer took advantage of the weather condition to enter into the country illegally through India-Bangladesh's Hakimpur border.

However, as soon as he set foot on the country's soil, he was detained by the soldiers of the 143rd Battalion of the BSF, following which he was handed over to the police of Swarupnagar police station.

Sources said that several documents were recovered from the Bangladeshi police officer.

All those documents have been handed over to the high-ranking officials of Indian government.

According to sources, information has been exchanged between the High Commissioners of the two countries.

Initially, it is learnt that Arifuzzaman hid in the border area in Bangladesh for several months to save his life from the hands of the current Yunus government.

Recently, the Ministry of Home Affairs in Bangladesh suspended Md Arifuzzaman for remaining absent at work place since October 14 last year without the approval of authorities concerned.

It said Arifuzzaman, who is also Assistant Superintendent of Police of the Armed Police Battalion-2, Muktagacha, Mymensingh, remained absent from duty since October 14, 2024.

It is believed that following his suspension, the police officer tried to flee the neighbouring country.

--IANS

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