State Minister Mir Shahe Alam has sparked a fresh political row after overstepping his jurisdiction to target a police officer in the finance minister’s constituency, leaving his senior cabinet colleague deeply embarrassed.
Shahe Alam has courted controversy once again after issuing a demi-official (DO) letter seeking action against the Officer-in-Charge of Sadarghat Police Station in Chattogram city.
The police station falls under the Chattogram-11 (Bandar) constituency, represented in parliament by Finance and Planning Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury, also BNP standing committee member.
Following the letter, OC Muhammad Sharif was withdrawn from duty just 17 days after his appointment. There has been widespread discussion over why the state minister intervened in the affairs of another ministry involving a constituency outside his own district.
Finance ministry officials revealed Amir Khosru was deeply embarrassed by the incident.
Speaking to TIMES of Bangladesh, a senior ministry official confirmed the finance minister was entirely unaware of the junior minister’s intervention against the OC.
The incident has led many to label Shahe Alam the country’s most “powerful” state minister, echoing remarks by Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed on 13 June, who publicly called him “the most powerful state minister of Bangladesh”.
Additional IGP (Administration) AKM Awlad Hossain, who is currently serving as the acting Inspector General of Police, told TIMES on Tuesday evening, “A state minister can issue a DO letter, and action can then be taken.” Avoiding a direct answer when asked whether any MP from Chattogram had issued such a letter, he simply said, “There have been no irregularities here.”
The move came as a surprise to a number of senior officials at the Bangladesh Secretariat and they described the cross-district, cross-ministry intervention as “unprecedented”.
They noted that the intervention would have carried some weight had the state minister been in charge of the home ministry. If action against the OC was necessary, he should have informed the constituency’s sitting minister instead, they told TIMES.
Speaking to TIMES, former IGP Md Nurul Huda said, “It is highly unusual for a state minister to issue a DO letter against an official in the constituency of a senior cabinet colleague. While political lobbying within the police force occurs, an incident of this nature is rare.”
Police sources reveal that the state minister’s letter accused OC Sharif of political bias, extortion, bribery, and possessing wealth beyond his known income.
Following the complaint, Nasreen Sultana, deputy secretary of the Home Ministry’s Police-2 branch, directed the IGP to investigate. The letter explicitly cited the state minister’s DO as its reference. Once the directive reached the Chattogram Metropolitan Police, Sharif was removed, and an inquiry committee was established.
When questioned, Deputy Secretary Sultana said she was performing “routine work” on senior orders and was unaware of the actual withdrawal.
Meanwhile, Acting Commissioner of the Chattogram Metropolitan Police, Wahidul Haque Chowdhury, confirmed the OC’s removal and noted that a Deputy Police Commissioner is leading the investigation.
State Minister Mir Shahe Alam did not respond to calls or WhatsApp messages. His Assistant Private Secretary, Touhidul Islam Titu, declined to comment, advising journalists to speak directly with the minister.
Defending himself, OC Muhammad Sharif denied all allegations of wrongdoing, claiming the complaints were politically motivated propaganda, “Photos of me attending the wedding of an Awami League leader’s daughter during my time as Karnaphuli OC are being weaponised against me. I am not involved in any financial irregularities.”
Sharif, who was transferred to Sadarghat from the Estate and Buildings Branch on 18 June, leaves his post after less than three weeks in office.
What is behind the DO letter?
Various discussions have arisen regarding why State Minister Mir Shahe Alam issued a DO letter against an OC. Questions are emerging over whether he holds a personal grudge against the OC, particularly as several local government development projects are currently underway in the Chattogram-11 constituency.
However, there is also intense speculation that the state minister issued the DO letter at the request of another influential MP from Chattogram. This BNP MP is known to be close to the controversial former IGP, Benazir Ahmed.
Besides, rumours suggest the OC may have fallen foul of an influential officer from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Chattogram Range.
Reports have recently been published detailing various irregularities allegedly committed by that CID officer, and it is speculated that OC Sharif assisted in bringing these stories to light.
Controversy continues to chase Shahe Alam
Recently, Mir Shahe Alam has been mired in one controversy after another.
On 15 June, Jamaat MP Shafiqul Islam Masud alleged in parliament that two newly formed unions in the state minister’s constituency had been named ‘Simanta’ and ‘Diganta’ after his two sons.
However, the state minister claimed it was a mere coincidence that the names matched those of his children. Following the ensuing debate, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman ordered that the two unions be renamed.
In addition, the state minister has faced sharp criticism on several other fronts: for launching legal action against journalists following negative press coverage, for his initiative to rename an historic school in Shibganj, and for the alleged rapid growth of his personal wealth since taking office. While he has offered explanations for these matters at various times, the scrutiny remains.
