Suspended BMP top cop returns Tk 50 lakh

A Barisal Metropolitan Police (BMP) top official, who was suspended over his involvement in the creation of a bribe fund, has returned Tk 50 lakh yesterday.

BMP Deputy Commissioner Zillur Rahman submitted two cheques of Tk 25 lakh each to the BMP headquarters, BMP Commissioner Shaibal Kanti Chowdhury told The Daily Star.

Shaibal said they formed a committee led by Abu Saleh Md Rahyan, another deputy commissioner of the BMP, to return the “bribe money” to those who gave it.

The home ministry on Wednesday suspended Zillur after he was found involved in the creation of a joint bribe fund to expedite the promotion of 230 Barisal cops.

On June 29, 10 lower-ranked Barisal policemen were suspended over the allegation.

A total of 230 Barisal police members contributed between Tk 30,000 and Tk 50,000 each and set up a joint fund of around Tk 77 lakh. The money was to be given to “top officials” to quicken their promotion that has been due since last October.

Of the money, Tk 17 lakh was deposited with a joint account of ASI Anisuzzaman, Nayek Kabir Hossain and driver Bablu at a Dutch-Bangla Bank branch in Barisal. The three are among the suspended cops.

They handed the rest of the money over to Zillur to “manage” their promotions, which the deputy commissioner acknowledged.