Civil society condemns over propaganda against RMP DC DB Gaziur Rahman
Shahinur Rahman Sona, Rajshahi
False propaganda has been circulated on Facebook through a fake account targeting Gaziur Rahman, Deputy Commissioner (DC), Detective Branch (DB) and Media Wing of Rajshahi Metropolitan Police (RMP).
The post reportedly attempted to attach a political label to the police official. However, following the circulation of the misleading content, a wave of criticism emerged against the user of the fake account.
On November 11, the Facebook post received 326 immediate reactions and was shared 802 times. Facebook users demanded the withdrawal of the false post and protested against what they described as defamatory remarks about Gaziur Rahman.
In response, RMP's DC (DB) Gaziur Rahman also published a post in a Facebook group, presenting his personal account and rejecting the allegations.
In his post, he stated that he was born in Bagmara Upazila of Rajshahi district, while his family settled in the PTI Mor area of Bogura Sadar. He passed his Secondary School Certificate (SSC) examination with Star Marks from Bandhaikhara, Bagmara, and completed his Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) from Dawkandi College in Durgapur. He subsequently completed his BA Honours and MA degrees at Azizul Haque College, Bogura, between 2000 and 2005. Later, he obtained an MPS degree from the University of Rajshahi. He said his first visit to Dhaka was during his master's studies and that he had never had the opportunity to study or work in Dhaka.
Gaziur Rahman further stated that he was not promoted to Additional Superintendent of Police (Additional SP) along with his 2016 batchmates. He alleged that he was harassed for three years following a written complaint submitted to Police Headquarters accusing him of being involved with Chhatra Dal during his student life at Azizul Haque College.
He also said that after a photograph of him accepting sweets from the then Bogura District BNP President, VP Saiful, while on duty, was published in several national newspapers following the acquittal of the current Honourable Prime Minister in an economic-related case, he faced various difficulties.
"I have served for 16 years with the highest level of professionalism. At a time when I am making every possible effort to help the police stand firm under a democratic government, the same kind of conspiracy has surfaced again," he wrote.
Questioning the motives behind the campaign, he added, "What is the benefit of spreading false propaganda through fake Facebook accounts? Do those who are spreading these allegations even know me? Have they ever approached me? Whose interests are they serving ?"
Concluding his post, he urged those involved to fear Allah and stop spreading falsehoods. He also requested everyone's prayers, saying, "Alhamdulillah."
Meanwhile, a Facebook user named Minarun Mira from Bagmara wrote: "We have known him since childhood. He is a highly meritorious and dedicated person. He was never involved in political activities. He spent most of his time at his study table, day and night."
Another Facebook user, Nur-e-Alam Siddiqui, from Bogura, said: "I have known Gaziur Bhai since his student days. He was never involved in any kind of politics."
Smriti Chowdhury, a participant in the 2024 mass uprising from Naogaon, wrote that Gaziur Sir stood beside students and supported them. She said he was injured himself but still did not allow the students to suffer further injuries.
Rajshahi Metropolitan Chhatra Dal President Rakin Raihan Robin said, "He is a kind-hearted person. Whenever I have contacted him, whether for personal matters or for any need of my organization, at any time of the day or night, he has always answered my calls and provided the highest level of assistance. He has consistently extended his utmost cooperation to us."
People from his birthplace Bagmara, the city of Bogura where he grew up and studied, as well as Naogaon and Rajshahi, where he has lived for professional reasons, have also described the allegations as false propaganda.
They believe that attaching political labels to a professional individual is in no way desirable. Rather, they said, a person's professional conduct and performance should be the only criteria for evaluation.
They also stressed the need for legal action to prevent such acts of misinformation and character assassination.
