Show-Cause Notice Issued
GMP Officer Withdrawn Over Long March Post
- GMP Facebook page posted details of opposition long march
- Officer withdrawn and issued a show-cause notice
- Post was revised and later deleted
A Gazipur Metropolitan Police (GMP) official has been withdrawn from his post following a Facebook post about an opposition party’s long march published on the police force’s official page. Khandaker Jalal Uddin Mahmud was also issued a show-cause notice and attached to the GMP headquarters.
The action followed a roadside rally at Bhogra Bypass in Gazipur on Saturday, 19 September, as part of the Dhaka-Rangpur long march organised by an 11-party alliance. Opposition leader Dr Shafiqur Rahman and other alliance leaders addressed the rally around 10am. A large number of GMP personnel were deployed at different points along the highway and around the venue.
After the rally, GMP’s official Facebook page published a post containing information about the long march, including its destination and demands, as well as details of its schedule, estimated crowd and police security and traffic management.
The post said the long march entered the GMP area around 9am and resumed its journey after a brief address at Bhogra Bypass around 10am. It estimated the gathering at around 8,000 to 10,000 people and said Acting Commissioner Mohammad Taherul Haque Chowhan, deputy commissioners and other senior officers and personnel were involved in security and traffic management.
Following the publication, some BNP and Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal activists criticised the post on social media and called for action against the officer concerned. GMP subsequently revised the post and later removed it from its official page.
Khandaker Jalal Uddin Mahmud, who had been serving as the staff officer to the GMP commissioner for an extended period, was subsequently withdrawn and attached to the headquarters. He was also issued a show-cause notice.
GMP Deputy Commissioner Md Zahid Hossain Bhuiyan confirmed the withdrawal, saying, “The acting staff officer has been withdrawn and attached to headquarters.” He also confirmed that the action was taken because of the Facebook post.
GMP has not provided further details on which specific part of the post was considered inconsistent with the officer’s official responsibilities.
//DBTech/ENO/SME/BPO//
