The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

At least seven policemen were arrested and suspended within three days for their involvement in criminal acts.

Police sources said the involvement of the police in criminal activities has increased on the eve of the holy Eid-ul-Fitr.

Joint Police Commissioner of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), Abdul Jalil, however, said, "Police has increased its internal vigilance to prevent police crime."

"We are active to prevent any kind of crimes commited by anybody, including police", he said.

Meanwhile, various punitive actions were taken against over 3,000 policemen on different charges since the State of Emergency was imposed, police sources said.

On July 20, Inspector General of Police (IGP), Noor Mohammad, told The New Nation while he was in Chitagong that said no members of the law-enforcing agencies would go unpunished if found guilty.

According to Motijheel police station, members of the Detective Branch (DB) caught sub-inspector Ali Hossain red-handed Thursday night while he was taking Tk 10,000 as bribe from one Kamal Pasha.

Motijheel thana duty officer said the SI took the money from Pasha promising him to recover two vehicles. A case was filed in this connection and the DB members were interrogating SI Ali Hossain.

Besides, two other policemen of Utara thana were caught red handed and suspended Wednesday on charge of taking bribe from a woman.

Day before the suspension of the two policemen, four other members of Mirpur thana were suspended on charge of pocketing gold bars seized from a city dweller.

The two suspended policemen of Utara thana were identified as Sub-Inspector (SI) Azaharul Islam and Assistant Sub-inspector (ASI) Mohammad Alauddin.

They were arrested from Monolova Restaurant in front of Zia International Airport (ZIA) while taking Tk 5,000 from the woman, Shantona Karim.

After their arrest, the high officials suspended them and kept at the DB office for interrogation.

Moreover, four policemen of Mirpur thana -- SI Syed Asaduzzaman, ASI Shahidul Islam and constables Safdar Ali and Sakamal Alam- - were suspended on Wednesday for pocketing a gold bar instead of taking any legal steps.

Mirpur thana OC Mohiuddin Mahmud said the suspended policemen had recovered the gold bar from a person at Mirpur Bangla College on September 28 last But, they did not inform it to the thana. Rather, they shared the sales proceed of the gold bar among themselves. Being informed of the incident, an inquiry commitee was formed which found the four police personnel guilty.