BNP leader suspended after threatening to 'strip' police officer

BNP has suspended all party positions of Akhtar Hossain, ex-convenor of Maheshkhali municipality BNP, for threatening to "strip" Maheshkhali Police Station's Officer-in-Charge (OC) Monjurul Haque and drive him out of the area.

In a press statement signed by BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi this morning, the party said, "For using obscene language to threaten the OC of Moheshkhali Police Station and engaging in anti-organisational activities, Akhtar Hossain — a member of Cox's Bazar district BNP and former convener of Moheshkhali municipality BNP— has been suspended from all positions, including primary membership, until further notice."

On Wednesday afternoon, during a memorial meeting for BNP leader Shafiul Alam Shafi at Dighir Par in Moheshkhali municipality, Akhtar publicly said to the OC, "OC Saheb, close your shop. You will be sent out of Moheshkhali naked."

At the event, he accused the OC of political bias, profiting from filing cases, and colluding with influential circles close to Awami League to conspire against BNP leaders and activists.

"OC Saheb, I've had enough of your antics. I vow to drive you out of Moheshkhali. You are conspiring with Awami League associates in exchange for money— I hear everything. As long as I live, there will be no alliance with Awami League collaborators on Moheshkhali soil," he said.

Speaking to The Daily Star, Akhtar apologised for his remarks and claimed that those came out of anger over the killing of Shafiul Alam Shafi — former office secretary of BNP's Moheshkhali upazila unit — who was allegedly murdered by identified criminals on August 5 while returning home from a party event.

Akhtar accused police of trying to transfer the case to the Detective Branch without the plaintiff's consent after failing to make any arrests.

Denying the allegations of case trading and ties to the Awami League, OC Monjurul, who joined Moheshkhali Police Station on May 20 this year, said he has not yet seen or heard the video of Akhtar's remarks.