A police sub-inspector (SI) in Shariatpur’s Zazira has been accused of demanding a 10,000-taka bribe. A recorded conversation related to the allegation has spread on social media, in which the officer, at one point, gives out his own Bikash mobile-payment number and asks that the money be sent to it. The alleged victim and her family have demanded that the officer be held accountable. The accusation is against Zazira police station’s SI Rafiqul Islam.
According to the alleged victim and police sources, around three years ago Iti Akter, daughter of Malek Sheikh of East Nawdoba union in Zazira upazila, married Sattar Sheikh, son of Nur Mohammad Sheikh of the Sonar Deul area in Zazira municipality. Since the marriage, her husband and in-laws had repeatedly subjected her to physical and mental abuse over dowry demands. The matter was raised in several family and local mediations, but was never resolved. Most recently, on the night of August 17, her husband and his family beat her and threw her out of the house.
Over the incident, Iti Akter filed a written complaint at Zazira police station on September 4 against her husband, Sattar Sheikh, and several others, alleging family dispute, physical abuse and dowry demands. After the complaint was registered, the investigation was assigned to SI Rafiqul Islam. As part of the investigation, SI Rafiqul Islam contacted the complainant’s side and demanded 10,000 taka from the alleged victim. Later, Rafiqul Islam spoke by phone with a close relative of the woman, Dulal Mridha, who works in Saudi Arabia. During that call, the officer gave his Bikash number so the money could be sent. A video of the conversation has since spread on social media. The alleged victim claims the officer is not properly investigating the case because she has not paid the money he demanded.
The leaked one-minute-39-second conversation, reproduced verbatim, went as follows:
Dulal Mridha: Rafiqul bhai?
SI Rafiqul Islam: Yes.
Dulal Mridha: Are you at Zazira thana? Who’s going to investigate that matter — you?
SI Rafiqul Islam: Yes.
Dulal Mridha: You mentioned some cost — how much should I give? How much is needed? She [Iti] doesn’t have the money, I’ll have to send it from here. How much is needed?
SI Rafiqul Islam: Give around 10.
Dulal Mridha: Ten thousand?
SI Rafiqul Islam: Mm-hmm.
Dulal Mridha: What’s your Bikash number? Give it to me.
SI Rafiqul Islam: [gives phone number]
Dulal Mridha: Can I give a little less? Isn’t 10,000 taka too much?
SI Rafiqul Islam: We have costs too, don’t we — to catch him, to settle things?
Dulal Mridha: Catching him is your job, isn’t it? Are you the second officer, or the SI?
SI Rafiqul Islam: SI, sub-inspector.
After this exchange, Dulal Mridha promised to send the money and ended the call. The alleged victim said: “Since my marriage, my husband and his family have physically abused me over dowry. A few days ago they beat me, so I filed a written complaint at the thana. The investigation was handed to SI Rafiqul sir. When he asked me for money, I told him my brother lives abroad and would pay. He later spoke to my brother and gave him his Bikash number. Because my brother hasn’t paid him, they are not taking our case seriously, and they are not investigating it properly either. I want justice.”
The alleged victim’s mother, Khadija Begum, said: “When they asked us for money, I told the police we don’t have any. I said my nephew Dulal lives abroad and would send it. But because Dulal didn’t pay the officer, he hasn’t resolved my daughter’s case at all. Even when we go to the thana, they don’t take us seriously.”
When confronted, the accused officer, SI Rafiqul Islam, denied demanding money. At one point, he said the matter was known to the OC and left his office without commenting further. Zazira police station’s OC, Saleh Ahmed, also declined to comment on the matter, citing senior authority. However, district police additional superintendent (crime and operations) Zakaria Rahman assured that departmental action would follow pending an investigation. “No victim has filed a written complaint with me, but we have become aware of the matter and are looking into it,” he said. “If it is found to be true, departmental action will be taken against him.”