TDS Desk:

The government has dismissed two senior police officers from service for allegedly remaining absent from their workplaces for extended periods without informing or obtaining permission from the authorities.

The officers are former Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Joint Commissioner (Traffic-South) SM Mehedi Hasan and former Additional Superintendent of Police of Industrial Police-2 in Gazipur Md Rahmat Ullah Chowdhury.

The Home Ministry issued separate gazette notifications on Tuesday, signed by Senior Secretary Manzur Morshed Chowdhury.

The dismissal orders were approved by President Mohammed Shahabuddin on 22 September, according to the notifications.

Mehedi Hasan was dismissed with effect from 6 August 2024, while Rahmat Ullah was dismissed with effect from 10 February 2025.

Mehedi absent since August 2024

According to the notification, Mehedi Hasan was serving as joint commissioner (Traffic-South) of DMP when he stopped reporting to work on 6 August 2024, without informing the authorities.

He was later attached to the office of the Sylhet range deputy inspector general after being suspended.

The authorities sent notices to his permanent and current addresses and email, asking him to return to work. He did not respond, the notification said.

A departmental case was filed against him on 19 June last year. He was served a show-cause notice but neither replied nor sought additional time.

An inquiry officer was subsequently appointed, and the investigation report submitted on 29 April this year found the allegation of desertion against him proven.

A second show-cause notice was issued on 4 June, but he again did not respond.

After reviewing the investigation report and other documents, the authorities decided to dismiss him.

The Public Service Commission gave its opinion in favour of the dismissal on 24 August, followed by presidential approval.

Rahmat Ullah failed to return after medical leave

Rahmat Ullah Chowdhury was serving at Industrial Police-2 in Gazipur when he went to the then Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University, now Bangladesh Medical University, for treatment on 9 February 2025.

A doctor advised him to take two months’ rest from 10 February. He was due to return to work on 11 April but did not do so.

Authorities made several attempts to contact him but failed to determine his whereabouts. His office orderly, security guard and driver also could not provide specific information about him, according to the notification.

Notices were subsequently sent to his permanent and temporary addresses, but he did not return to work.

A departmental case was filed against him on 30 July last year. An inquiry officer was appointed after he failed to respond to a show-cause notice.

The inquiry report submitted on 12 March this year found the allegations of misconduct and desertion against him proven.

He was served another show-cause notice but again failed to respond.

The authorities then decided to dismiss him, and the Public Service Commission endorsed the decision on 24 August. The president subsequently approved the dismissal.

Both officers were dismissed under the Government Servants (Discipline and Appeal) Rules, 2018.

The notifications said the allegation of desertion was proven against Mehedi Hasan, while both misconduct and desertion were proven against Rahmat Ullah Chowdhury.