The officer-in-charge of Itna Police Station in Kishoreganj has been withdrawn over allegations of "demanding jilapi" from funds allocated for a crop protection embankment project.

Md Monowar Hossain has been withdrawn and attached to the Kishoreganj Police Lines, confirmed Kishoreganj Superintendent of Police Mohammad Hasan Chowdhury to The Daily Star this evening.

He however did not clarify the reason for the withdrawal.

An audio clip of a phone conversation of the OC went viral on social media yesterday.

In the recording, OC Monowar is heard saying, "I have always provided safety and security [for you people]. You earned a profit of Tk 10 lakh from a Tk 18-lakh project, yet you didn't even buy Tk 10 jilapi for the public. After eating [it], I'll offer dua for the Students Against Discrimination. If I were in your place, I would have borrowed money to buy jilapi for blessings."

He added, "So, should I wait for the jilapi?"

At that point, the other party is heard saying, "Just jilapi, or something else...?"

The OC replied, "No, no, jilapi will be enough. Don't you understand what else the public expects to eat?"

In response, the other party said, "Once I receive the bill, I'll check and figure out an amount."

The person on the other end of the call with the OC was Afzal Hossain Shanto, a local leader of SAD.

Contacted, Afzal told The Daily Star, "I was working on a project for a 1,480-metre crop protection embankment under the Water Development Board. Whenever I went to the police station after the work was over, he [the OC] used to ask for money to eat jilapi.

"I couldn't record it then. Later, when I talked to the OC over the phone, he again asked for jilapi."

Asked, OC Monowar said, "I had asked for jilapi in jest. I don't recall having spoken to Afzal in the past two months. About two months ago, during a distribution of jilapi funded by me at a mosque near the police station, Afzal's call came through. I jokingly mentioned jilapi at that time. Now, after such a long period, this audio has surfaced. This seems to be a conspiracy against me."

Kishoreganj SP Mohammad Hasan Chowdhury said OC Monowar Hossain has been withdrawn and replaced with a new OC at Itna Police Station.

"An investigation is underway regarding the phone conversation," he added.