Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Commissioner Sheikh Mohammad Sajjat Ali has firmly stated that former OC Shah Alam, who recently escaped from custody at Uttara East Police Station, was not deliberately released by the police.
Addressing the media during a meeting with the newly elected executive committee of the Bangladesh Crime Reporters Association (CRAB) on Tuesday (21 January), the DMP Commissioner remarked, "Had we intended to release him, we would have done so in Kushtia, not after bringing him to Dhaka."
Commissioner Sajjat Ali disclosed that two officers had been suspended due to negligence in connection with Shah Alam's escape.
Despite efforts to recapture him, the former OIC remains at large, with suspicions that he may have fled to a neighbouring country, possibly India.
Shah Alam, implicated in a murder case arising from an anti-discrimination student protest, was apprehended in Kushtia and transferred to Dhaka for court proceedings.
However, on the morning of 9 January, he managed to escape from the OIC’s office at Uttara East Police Station, where he was being held instead of the usual lockup. This decision, attributed to a misplaced sense of compassion by the officers, enabled his flight.
"The sub-inspector responsible for overseeing him may have been negligent, allowing the former OIC to escape," the Commissioner explained.
Following the escape, a coordinated search involving the army, RAB, and all police units commenced, yet as of Tuesday afternoon, Shah Alam remains untraceable. In response, the police have issued a nationwide red alert to expedite his capture.
The Commissioner reiterated that Shah Alam was detained in connection with a murder case filed on 2 September last year. His arrest occurred on 8 January, with plans to present him in court the following day.
DMP Deputy Commissioner (Media and Public Relations) Muhammad Talebur Rahman said that Shah Alam's escape led to the suspension of an assistant sub-inspector and the removal of the officer-in-charge of Uttara East Police Station, Mahibullah.
The meeting with CRAB's new committee was attended by President Mirza Mehedi Tamal, Vice President Umar Farooq Al Hadi, General Secretary MM Badsha, and other key officials, reflecting the high-level concern over this breach of police custody.
This incident underscores a significant lapse in security protocol and raises questions about internal disciplinary measures within the police force, as authorities intensify efforts to bring the fugitive officer to justice.
