Throughout the tenure, they had been deprived either of promotions or better postings. Worse still, the differential treatment continues even now--during the caretaker government.

Analysing track records of the Hindu and Gopalganj-born officers of the superintendent of police (SP) rank and above, The Daily Star found that the immediate past government had posted those mostly to places of little significance.

All too often the officers had been superseded and denied due promotions.

Ten Hindu officers of the rank of SP and above were posted to Police Academy, Police Training Centre (PTC), Armed Police Battalion (APBn), Range Reserve Force (RRF), Traffic Training School (TTS), Detective Training School (DTS), Highway Police, railway police, staff colleges and Police Headquarters (PHQ) during the five-year period. All of them were superseded, mostly multiple times.

Hailing from Gopalganj, 11 other officers of the same rank had similar postings and history of deprivation.

At the beginning of its term, the immediate past government had run through the rank and file of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) to identify and get rid of the ones coming from Gopalganj. Even the one of constable rank was not spared.

"We thought the unfair treatment that we'd long been dealt out would end with the caretaker government taking over," said an officer having roots in Gopalganj. "But it didn't took long for me to be disillusioned as I found myself posted to an even more unimportant place."

Another officer of the SP rank, who was superseded several times, reasoned: "May be my religion has been the major stumbling block to rise in my career."

GOPALGANJ LINK
Mohammed Nazibur Rahman, who has recently been transferred as a deputy inspector general (DIG) to Highway Police, was SP Sirajganj in 2001. Over the years of last BNP-Jamaat rule, he was transferred to Police Academy, made SP Bandarban and a deputy commissioner of DMP.

Nazibur was closed to the police headquarters for not agreeing to intercept and disperse a peaceful procession of the then opposition. Later, he was transferred to the Police Special Training School (PSTS) at Betbunia, Rangamati and then to Tangail PTC on promotion. From there, he was sent to SB Training School and then Sardah Police Academy. He is the second man of his batch.

Additional DIG Benazir Ahmed remains posted to PTC Tangail though one of his junior officials has already been made DIG. He did not get due raise even during the caretaker regime.

In 2001, he was at Sardah Police Academy as an SP and later posted to the PHQ.

Police Super ZA Morshed (12th batch) was posted to Bilaychchari APBn in Rangamati in 2001. Superseded thrice, he was first shifted to Uttara APBn and then to Sylhet APBn where he is still serving.

Mahfuzul Haq Nuruzzaman, another SP of the 12th batch, was transferred to Barbunia APBn after the BNP-led government came to power in 2001. He was relocated to APBn Chittagong but only after being superseded twice in his previous posting.

The caretaker government first sent him to the PHQ and later to Chittagong Railway.

In 2001, SM Muniruzzaman was ASP (riot) in the DMP. After being superseded thrice, he was promoted to Additional SP of Khulna. While in that post, he was superseded on 10 occasions.

Now he is stationed at Mohalchhari APBn at Khagrachhari.

M Khurshid Hossain was additional SP, Pabna in 2001. During the last five years, he was made SP Chuadanga, SP Pabna and transferred to the PHQ where he is still posted.

Didar Ahmed was additional SP in 2001. He was transferred to the Khulna Metropolitan Police (KMP) and APBn Barbunia before being promoted as SP Bandarban. Lately, the caretaker government has placed him at Sardah Police Academy.

Munirul Islam, the first man of the 15th batch, was in Chittagong Metropolitan Police (CMP) in 2001. From there, he was posted to Jhenidah, TTS, Barisal, and Sardah before the interim government made him SP Bandarban.

He was superseded on as many as 14 occasions. When most of his batch mates were made SP, he was still an additional SP despite being the course senior.

Mohammad Ali Mia was AC DMP in 2001.Over the last five years, he worked in Kurigram, then at the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) as an additional SP, and in the Rajshahi Metropolitan Police (RMP) as an SP CID. He is now stationed in a foreign mission.

Awlad Ali Fakir was posted to PHQ in 2001. After supersedence for two times, he was made additional SP Gaibandha and later shifted to Khulna RRF. The caretaker government has transferred him to the DMP as DC transport.

Mizanur Rahman, a course senior, was in Gazipur in 2001.During the BNP-Jamaat rule, he was transferred to Noakhali PTC, Laxmipur circle, Rajbari Sadar and RMP. He served as an additional SP in Chuadanga, Comilla, and then at Rangpur PTC, TTS and Barbunia APBn before being made SP (telecom).

PARIAH FOR RELIGION
Additional IGP Nabo Bikrom Kishor Tripura was a DC in the CMP in 2001. In 2002, he was made special superintendent (SS) at the CID. He was then transferred to Khulna Range additional DIG, Police Academy and then Detective Training School.

He was later sent to National Defence College to complete an 11-month course. On completion, he was transferred to the PHQ and then to the Staff College.

The caretaker government has brought him back to the PHQ.

DIG Foni Bhushan Chowdhury was SS CID in 2001. Superseded several times, Foni was promoted to additional DIG and transferred to Khulna PTC. He was again superseded on a number of occasions before being made DIG crime.

Sources said he is not being promoted because he will become additional IGP of CID once he gets the next promotion.

On assuming power, the BNP-led government transferred Krishna Bandhu Das to Barisal APBn. He is now in a UN mission.

Binoy Krishna Bala was made an officer on special duty (OSD) while he was an SP in 2001. In the course of the next five years, he was transferred to Chittagong RRF, Muktagachha APBn, Khulna APBn and lastly to CID where he now serves as an additional DIG.

Bhanulal Das was SP Gaibandha in 2001. The BNP-led alliance government transferred him to Police Staff College and made him SP Gaibandha. The caretaker government has made him SP Kurigram.

Shoibal Kanti Chowdhury was at TTS as an additional SP in 2001. Superseded several times, he was transferred to Chittagong Railway Police on promotion, then to the PHQ and then Chittagong RRF.

Nibash Chandra Maji was SP Sherpur in 2001. He was transferred to RRF Dhaka and is still there.

Banoj Kumar Majumder was sent to Jhenidah as an additional SP in 2002. He was first transferred to Chittagong APBn, then RRF Chittagong and the PHQ. The caretaker government has sent him to APBn Chittagong again.

Debdash Bhattacharya was in the CID in 2001. There he was superseded thrice before being posted to PTC Khulna, and later to the CID. Currently, he is working at RRF Sylhet.

Krishna Pada Roy was at Sardah Police Academy. During the last government tenure, he was made additional SP of Syedpur Railway police and then transferred to Khulna APBn. He is now in a foreign mission.

Of the above-mentioned officers, only two will be on election duty.

Apart from them, officers of lower ranks like additional SP, ASP, inspector and sub-inspector had also been subjected to discrimination, said sources.

Amulya Bhushan Barua is among those from other religious minorities who had suffered discrimination. He was AIG crime in 2001. When most of his batch mates and juniors have been made additional IG, he is still stranded in the post of AIG crime. He was second in his batch.

A number of officers from districts adjacent to Gopalganj too were victims of politicisation.

After taking over, the caretaker government transferred DIG (current charge) Sheikh Hemayet Hossain Mia of Faridpur to railway police.

When BNP took office in 2001, he was SP Jhalakathi. The then government transferred him to Rajshahi Metropolitan Police (RMP). He had long remained an exception when all his batch mates got promoted one after another.

He was promoted to additional DIG and was transferred to Barisal but not before all his batch mates had been made DIG by that time. He was later transferred to Rangpur PTC as an additional DIG.

Asaduzzaman Mia of Faridpur who was in Chittagong Railway in 2001 was transferred to Syedpur Railway and then to APBn Bogra. During his stint in Bogra, he was superseded. Now he is serving at PTC Noakhali.