Panic and discontent in CMP

Discontent and panic have gripped officers who hail from Chattogram district -- at different levels of Chattogram Metropolitan Police (CMP) -- after an order issued by the deputy commissioner (headquarters) of CMP to make a list of “Chittagonian officers” for transfer.

Police sources said the uncertainty has been created after Police Headquarters issued a transfer order of 13 officers, who hail from Chattogram, from CMP. The orders were issued from October 7 to October 10.

Officers-in-charge of Bandar Police Station and Chandgaon Police Station of CMP are among the 13 transferred officers.

Hours after the transfer order, DC (Headquarters) Shyamal Kumar Nath of CMP issued a letter to all units on October 10, asking to submit details from sub-inspectors and officers ranked below whose permanent addresses are in Chattogram, following a “verbal” order of Police Headquarters.

Officers of CMP said issuing such order is unacceptable, while the order has drawn flak as there are a number of officers and staff members of other districts who have been stationed in CMP’s different departments for a long time.

Apart from that, the order has also raised controversy among the different quarters and political arena in Chattogram.

However, CMP Commissioner Mahbubor Rahman told The Daily Star, “As far as I know, the order [for officers’ details] has been cancelled and Police Headquarters can say better why they [the 13 officers of Chattogram] were transferred from CMP to other ranges.”

“We formally requested the Police Headquarters not to transfer anyone if there is any region-based transfer plan,” said the CMP boss.

According to the transfer order, OC of Bandar Police Station Sukanto Chawkrabarty was transferred to Sylhet Range while OC of Chandgaon Police Station Abul Kalam Azad was transferred to Chattogram Range. Both officials took charge of the police stations two months ago.

Apart from that, Traffic Inspector (TI) of Pahartali Suvash Chandra was transferred to Khulna Range while TI of Panchlaish Kanu Das was transferred to Sylhet Range. Inspector of CMP DB Atik Ahmed Chowdhury was transferred to CID while Special Branch Inspector Fazlul Karim Selim was transferred in Sylhet Range.

In the transfer order, the officers have been asked to join their respective zones by October 20 while they will be considered as “Stand Release”.

CMP sources said it has around 7,000-strong manpower and around 2,000 hail from different upazilas of Chattogram.

Following the order of making a list of employees who hail from Chattogram, they have been feeling insecure.

Seeking anonymity, several officers and constables from Chattogram told The Daily Star that transfer of those who are allegedly engaged in corruption and irregularities is acceptable and rational, but they smell “conspiracy” behind the office order.

A police official told this correspondent, “Chittagonian employees can easily identify Rohingyas and they have good knowledge of the geographical location of the region, which helps CMP curb crime.”

“There is no official provision that they [Chittagonians] cannot work in CMP,” he said.