<i>Punished for meting out odd punishment</i>

This picture, published in The Daily Star yesterday, prompted the authorities to take action against Parbatipur upazila assistant commissioner (Land) John Kennedy Jambil.Photo: STAR

The Dinajpur district administration yesterday closed Parbatipur upazila assistant commissioner (AC-Land) John Kennedy Jambil for meting out bizarre punishment, abusing his magisterial power during a mobile court operation against motorbike riders who violated rule the day before yesterday's election in Parbatipur municipality.
“The administration seized the magisterial power of John Kennedy Jambil and withdrew him from the duty in Parbatipur municipality election today [Thursday] as Rangpur Divisional Commissioner Jashim Uddin Ahmed directed us to close him,” said Md Jamal Uddin Ahmed, deputy commissioner of Dinajpur yesterday.
Different national dailies yesterday published photographs testifying to the odd punishment given to rule violator motorcycle riders by AC Jambil in Parbatipur municipality area on Wednesday.
After detaining motorbike riders at different points of Parbatipur town on charge of running those defying a ban ahead of the municipality election, Jambil forced the riders to lie, kneel down and roll on the street, and even somersault on the street in front of hundreds of onlookers.
Even honourable persons including school and college teachers, physicians and businessmen were not spared.
Members of law enforcement agencies including police and Border Guard Bangladesh assisted the official during the operation.
As a large number of people witnessed the unbecoming incident at Dhaka More, they protested it and at one stage Jambil with his force left the spot.
“He could have fined the motorbike riders for violating the rule but such inhuman punishment is unexpected,” said a trader at Dhaka More.
This correspondent failed to contact Jambil as nobody received his cell phone.
“I have taken immediate step after hearing about the punishment meted out by the mobile court of John Kennedy Jambil. We will launch a detailed investigation over the incident after the municipality election,” Dinajpur DC Md Jamal Uddin Ahmed told this correspondent over cell phone.
A caption story run by The Daily Star yesterday inadvertently mentioned that the mobile court led by AC Jambil meted out the odd punishment to the motorbike riders for not having valid driving licences but actually the riders concerned were accused of running the motorbikes in violation of a ban the day before yesterday's municipality election.