Jamal Uddin Sentu, the General Secretary of the Sonagazi Upazila BNP, caused a commotion at Sonagazi Model Police Station after being asked to wait, resulting in the harassment of the newly appointed Officer-in-Charge (OC), Md Kamruzzaman, on his first day at work.
The incident took place on Saturday night (21 September).
According to reports, OC Md Kamruzzaman, after concluding a discussion with journalists stationed in the upazila, was speaking with a service-seeker in his office. At that moment, Jamal Uddin Sentu entered the room, introduced himself, and expressed a desire to speak with the OC. When OC Kamruzzaman requested that he return later, Sentu left the station in anger.
Shortly after, a group of 10-15 individuals, led by Upazila Chhatra Dal’s Member Secretary Sohag Noor and Senior Joint Convener Mezbaha Uddin Pias, stormed into the OC’s office.
They confronted OC Kamruzzaman, demanding an explanation for the perceived disrespect towards Jamal Uddin Sentu. The situation quickly escalated into a heated verbal exchange and a disturbance inside the office.
Eventually, Inspector (Investigation) Maksud Kamal and the outgoing OC, Sudip Roy, intervened and managed to calm the Chhatra Dal leaders, attempting to restore order.
When asked about the incident, Jamal Uddin Sentu remarked that the police, Deputy Commissioner (DC), and Superintendent of Police (SP) were still predominantly aligned with the Awami League. He commented, “No BNP or Jamaat-minded officials have yet taken charge. Naturally, there is a camaraderie among Awami League affiliates. Since the OC is a close associate of Obaidul Quader, he was preoccupied with a person close to him, which made me less of a priority.”
Regarding the altercation at the police station, Sentu denied any improper conduct, saying that the activists only inquired whether the OC would be able to mediate a settlement for them.
"How could an OC be expected to resolve a family dispute? If he starts prioritising arbitrations, how will he handle matters involving political leaders?" he remarked.
In response to the allegations, OC Kamruzzaman clarified that after the meeting with the journalists, he was listening to the complaint of a service-seeker when Jamal Uddin Sentu entered his office.
“I greeted him and asked him to sit down. Since I was attending to the service-seeker, I requested Sentu to wait for two minutes. Instead of waiting, he left the station.”
The OC further stated, “Soon after his departure, a group of 10-15 people arrived and created a disturbance. They approached my desk and began speaking loudly. However, the allegation that I refused to engage with the BNP leader or provide him with time is not true.”
