Selim Reza, Sirajganj :
The ongoing investigation into allegations of an attempted misappropriation of gold bars by certain officials of the Directorate of Narcotics Control (DNC) in Sirajganj has sparked widespread speculation.
Many believe the inquiry is progressing at an unreasonably slow pace, fuelling suspicions of a possible cover-up. Locals allege that efforts are underway to divert attention from the incident.
While higher authorities claim the investigation is active and that appropriate action will follow, scepticism remains among both locals and some sincere officials of the DNC.
The controversy stems from a raid conducted on October 15, 2024, by a team of DNC officials under the Sirajganj district unit, led by Sub-Inspector Ibrahim Khalil.
The team, which included Assistant Sub-Inspector Mina Pervin and Sepoys Sohel Rana and Akmol Hossain, intercepted a private car at the Hatikumrul intersection. During the raid, they seized two gold bars from Al-Arafat Hossain, a resident of Manikganj.
Shockingly, some team members allegedly took the gold bars without documenting them in the seizure list.
The bars, weighing 11 bhori and 10.4 bhori, were concealed, and passengers were threatened into silence.
The gold bars were eventually returned to Arafat 48 hours later through a negotiation facilitated by Mohammad Ruhul Amin, Deputy Director (DD) of the DNC Sirajganj office.
As the incident became public, a divisional case was filed against four officials, including Sub-Inspector Khalil. Insiders allege that DD Ruhul Amin played a controversial role in managing the case, raising questions about his accountability as the head of the office.
Public Prosecutor Rafique Sarker of the Sirajganj Judge Court criticised the handling of the gold bars, stating that proper legal channels such as customs or judicial magistrates should have been involved in their return.
Arafat, the gold owner, alleged that DNC officials had forcibly taken the bars without following proper procedure and had threatened him with dire consequences if he reported the incident.
Sub-Inspector Khalil denied involvement, claiming he was unaware of the gold bars’ misappropriation until informed by the DD.
He accused Sepoys Sohel Rana and Akmol Hossain, as well as ASI Mina Pervin, of being primarily responsible for the attempted misappropriation.
When approached for comment, Sohel Rana declined and instead attempted to arrange a private meeting with the reporter, hinting at an effort to influence the news.
Similarly, ASI Mina Pervin dismissed the matter, expressing indifference as she planned to leave the country if necessary.
DD Ruhul Amin acknowledged returning the gold bars to their owner but maintained he had acted under directives from higher authorities. He added that the matter was under investigation and that action would be taken based on the findings.
However, a DNC official, speaking on condition of anonymity, painted a grim picture of the organisation’s internal state.
According to the official, the incident has severely undermined the office’s chain of command, with rules and regulations increasingly ignored. This, coupled with mismanagement under DD Ruhul Amin, has damaged the DNC’s reputation.
Masud Hossain, Additional Deputy Director of the DNC divisional office in Rajshahi, assured that the investigation was ongoing and that all accused would be interrogated by the Director General if necessary. Appropriate actions, he said, would be taken following the probe’s conclusion.
Meanwhile, a parallel investigation by the DNC’s intelligence unit in Rajshahi is underway. This follows a January 19, 2025, report in a local newspaper, which exposed the involvement of unauthorised informers in DNC operations.
The report detailed how a team of officials, including ASI Mina Pervin and Sepoy Sohel Rana, conducted illegal searches at Hatikumrul intersection with unauthorised personnel disguised as DNC officers, allegedly to harass and extort passengers and drivers.
As public confidence in the DNC wanes, the investigation’s slow progress continues to raise doubts about the organisation’s commitment to accountability and transparency.
