CMP probe confirms Waadaa report, recommends action against AC Shariful, two ASIs

A Chattogram Metropolitan Police (CMP) investigation has confirmed Daily Waadaa's report that three police officers detained two young men and extorted cryptocurrency and cash worth 20.80 lakh taka by threatening to implicate them in an online gambling case.

The investigation committee has recommended departmental disciplinary action against Assistant Commissioner Mohammad Shariful Alam Chowdhury Sujon and Assistant Sub-Inspectors Md Bashir Uddin and Abu Sufiyan.

Two separate investigations were launched on the instructions of Police Headquarters and the CMP commissioner after Waadaa published its investigative report on September 9.

CMP Deputy Commissioner (POM) Mohammad Badiuzzaman, who headed the investigation, submitted one report to the CMP commissioner on Saturday. Another report, prepared under instructions from Police Headquarters, was submitted last Tuesday.

"All allegations against AC Shariful and the two ASIs have been substantiated," Badiuzzaman told Waadaa. "We have submitted two investigation reports to the CMP commissioner, recommending necessary action."

A senior CMP official said the committee recommended disciplinary proceedings under the Government Servants (Discipline and Appeal) Rules, 2018.

CMP will take administrative action against the two ASIs, while the report concerning Shariful will be forwarded to Police Headquarters for a decision, the official said.

Following the publication of Waadaa's report, CMP removed Shariful from its Lawful Interception Cell (LIC) and attached him to the commissioner's office on September 10, after preliminary inquiries found substance in the allegations.

Bashir and Sufiyan were transferred to the police lines. Bashir had been serving in the LIC, while Sufiyan was assigned to the ration store.

According to complaints filed by the victims, Shakil and Mansur, an eight-member team led by Shariful picked them up from a residence in Halishahar K-Block on September 4, identifying themselves as Detective Branch officers.

The two men were taken to the LIC facility on the ground floor of the CMP commissioner's office and detained for 12 hours without any criminal case or arrest warrant.

There, the officers allegedly threatened to frame them as online gambling agents unless they handed over money.

The victims said the officers forced them to transfer cryptocurrency and cash worth a combined 20.80 lakh taka from Shakil's Binance, bank and Nagad accounts.

The officers also seized Shakil's private car and kept it at Dampara Police Lines.

The investigation further found evidence that the officers continued to blackmail the victims after their release.

Although the two men were freed after payments in taka and dollars, the officers allegedly retained 14 mobile phones and demanded an additional iPhone and 5 lakh taka.

The findings substantiate the central allegations in Waadaa's September 9 investigation, which exposed the alleged use of a secure police facility to detain civilians and extort money under threats of criminal prosecution.

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