The Sunamganj District Police have showcased a terrifying (!) success by arresting a day laborer with four packets of Indian bidi. The Jamalganj police conducted this rare operation, apprehending an individual with four packets of Indian Sheikh Nasir Uddin bidi.

This grand success story, accompanied by pictures, has been circulating on the district police’s Facebook page and flooding news feeds. Enthusiastic police officers from the region have even sent me the news in my inbox, not hesitating to scold me. An assistant sub-inspector (ASI) wrote:

“Journalist sir, a while ago, you baselessly accused the Sunamganj SP of aiding smuggling and called the district police incompetent. Where will you hide today?”

He further argued, in flawed spelling and grammar, that this operation should not be viewed merely as an attempt to seize a few packets of bidi. Rather, it should be understood as part of SP sir’s directive to conduct regular combing operations in border areas. Under their strict vigilance, not even a single packet of bidi can be smuggled.

A remarkable statement, indeed! The devotion, respect, and loyalty of a police officer toward his superior are truly commendable. One can only imagine that Sunamganj’s Superintendent of Police (SP) Anwar Hossain himself must be pleased. After all, he should be touched by the relentless efforts of his officers to restore his honor.

However, since taking office in Sunamganj, SP Anwar has been mired in allegations and controversies. It seems as though his stars do not align with the region. From reckless stone extraction from hill rivers to the indiscriminate use of hundreds of dredgers, riverbank erosion, and the illegal sand trade worth thousands of crores—everything is running unchecked. Massive monthly kickbacks are reaching various top officials, including the district administration, UNOs, assistant commissioners (land), BGB officers, and regional environmental authorities. Yet, no one talks about them. Instead, accusations of siphoning off enormous sums of money are repeatedly directed at SP Anwar.

Were the previous SPs innocent saints? Not at all. Yet, the year-round payers of hefty bribes—stone traders, sand traders, dredger syndicates, and smugglers—praised them as “kind-hearted police officers,” “humane SPs,” and “symbols of peace” while bidding them farewell with grand receptions. But because the current SP disrupted this harmony, the crime syndicates have turned against him. Their revelations have exposed SP Anwar Hossain’s hidden persona.

A local political leader, who treats the Jadukata River as his personal property, is the mastermind behind unauthorized stone and sand extraction. According to him, certain trades in Sunamganj’s border, river, and hill areas have unofficial approval. Part of the proceeds from these businesses has traditionally been allocated to the police. But since SP Anwar’s arrival, he has been demanding two to three times the usual extortion. Traders from all sectors are frustrated with this excessive extortion. Even after paying lakhs in bribes, they are subjected to humiliating treatment. Student leaders opposing discrimination claim that SP Anwar has facilitated rampant river excavation and unrestricted stone and sand extraction in exchange for large sums of money. When tensions rose over this issue, SP Anwar backed down temporarily but never truly halted his misconduct.

Although I lack concrete evidence of his two- to three-fold extortion claims, I am fully certain about his appalling behavior. I possess audio and video recordings of his foul conduct. Besides extortion from river operations, he has also introduced a new dimension to border crimes. SP Anwar has reportedly deployed innovative “toll collectors” at border points to collect daily kickbacks from smugglers. This move has triggered extreme controversy.

Moreover, in any local dispute leading to a lawsuit, SP Anwar is particularly enthusiastic about filing counter-cases, often implicating at least one member of expatriate families.

With an endless list of allegations and extreme controversies surrounding him, why must SP Anwar Hossain remain in Sunamganj? His actions have brought disrepute to the entire police force, creating a negative impact on public perception.

A Special Tale:

The case of four packets of Indian bidi reminds me of an old story. About 25-26 years ago, a case regarding marijuana was being heard in Dhaka’s Chief Metropolitan Magistrate’s (CMM) court. In the courtroom of Magistrate Noni Gopal Chandra, defense lawyer Advocate Mitra made an unusual appeal. He argued that the arrest of an accused with only two small packs of marijuana, worth 60 taka, was an unnecessary waste of the court’s time.

The lawyer claimed that the legal proceedings would not only waste time for court officials but would also cost the government approximately 1.5 lakh taka. He accused the police officer of using the case as a means of personal vendetta and deliberately orchestrating a massive waste of public funds.

Hearing this, the magistrate was left astonished. He simply remarked: “This is indeed something worth considering.”

Now, I am left wondering—should the four packets of bidi also be included in such contemplation?