Paltan OC suspended on rape charge

Officer-in-Charge of Paltan Police Station Mahmudul Haque has been suspended for allegedly raping a girl luring her to provide a good job and promising her to marry.

Paltan Police Station Officer-in-Charge Mahmudul Haque has been suspended in light with instruction of police headquarters. A departmental case has also been filed against the OC.

While asked, Sohel Rana, assistant inspector general at the PHQ, confirmed it to The Daily Star.

According to the victim’s complaint submitted to the PHQ on August 2 this year, Mahmudul brought the girl to Dhaka from Naogaon on September 21, 2017, luring her to provide a good job.

Later, the police official raped her in a hotel room after feeding sedative pills with food, it reads.

The OC also promised to marry her when the girl got her conscious and realised that she was raped by him. With the promise, he raped the girl on different occasions, the victim stated in her complaint.

OC Mahmudul tried to convince her for abortion after he came to know about the girl’s pregnancy on October 20, 2018. As he filed to convinced her, the OC stopped communication with the girl since April 2 this year.   

The girl, who is an official of a private bank, further claimed that Mahmudul and his family members are threatening her that they will create problem to her job if she does not go away from his (Mhamudul) life.     

However, in her complaint, the girl also threatened that she will commit suicide if Mahmudul does not marry her.

Contacted, the girl told The Daily Star tonight that she earlier communicated with several senior police officials at Motijheel division of Dhaka Metropolitan Police but they did not settle the issue.

Finally, she had to lodge the complaint with the police chief, the victim said.

Anwar Hossain, deputy commissioner (Motijheel zone) of DMP, told The Daily Star that they found evidence of Mahmudul’s involvement into the rape during an investigation.

OC Mahmudul could not be reached for his comments as his official mobile phone number was found switched off.