Gazi Anowar :
Nazmul Ahsan, the secretary of the Ministry of Water Resources, is facing serious allegations about his involvement in extrajudicial killing while he was deputy commissioner (DC) of Satkhira from 2013 to 2016.
Reports indicate that within just five days of his appointment as the DC in December, a local BNP leader and Agardari Union Parishad Chairman Anwarul Islam was publicly executed in police “crossfire.”
Between 2013 and 2014, law enforcement in Satkhira reportedly carried out a series of extrajudicial killings, resulting in the deaths of over 50 opposition leaders and activists.
These incidents are said to have been coordinated under the leadership of then-Superintendent of Police (SP) ChowdhuryMonjurulKabir and DC NazmulAhsan. Following the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s government, SP MonjurulKabir fled the country and was later officially retired.
However, NazmulAhsan remains in office and continues to hold ahigh bureaucratic position.
On March 3, victims’ families and human rights activists organized a protest demanding Ahsan’s arrest.
The demonstration took place in front of the Satkhira District Commissioner’s office, where affected individuals shared harrowing accounts of police brutality. Following the protest, a memorandum was submitted to the Chief Advisor, Dr. Muhammad Yunus, through the current DC of Satkhira, Mostak Ahmed.
Speakers at the protest included family members of those killed, such as Shahor Ali, the father of Abu HanifChoton, and victims of police shootings like Abdul Gafur. Dr. FirozHossain and other local activists also participated, emphasizing the need for justice.
During his tenure as DC, NazmulAhsan allegedly ordered the demolition of former MP and Jamaat leader Maulana Abdul Khaleq’s house using a bulldozer.
Official records suggest that at least 43 people were killed in political violence during his time in Satkhira, including 27 individuals shot dead by law enforcement. All of the victims were reportedly affiliated with the BNP, Jamaat-e-Islami, or their student wings.
Additionally, hundreds of activists were injured, and several homes were bulldozed under his administration.
According to intelligence reports, Ahsan was also closely associated with Nasrul Hamid Bipu, a former state minister for power, energy and mineral resources, and was implicated in corruption within the power sector during his tenure as chairman of Petrobangla.
Local Jamaat and BNP leaders have condemned Ahsan’s actions, stating that his administration terrorized the opposition, targeting not only political figures but also ordinary citizens, including women and children. They claim that homes were looted and set on fire with the knowledge of the administration.
Former BNP leader Habibur Rahman Hobi remarked, “Nazmul Ahsan was responsible for legitimizing every police operation in Satkhira during 2013-14. If he continues to be rewarded with prestigious positions, it will encourage further corruption and oppression within the administration. He must be held accountable.”
Responding to the allegations, Nazmul Ahsan told The New Nation, “Like the rest of the country, the police in Satkhira were taking measures to suppress opposition unrest. The police were responsible for those actions, not I.”
Despite mounting protests and demands for justice, Nazmul Ahsan continues to hold office, raising concerns over accountability within Bangladesh’s bureaucracy.
