Staff Correspondent

Police headquarters has formed a three-member committee to investigate the removal of Tk.25 crores from the room of the former Special Branch chief Monirul Islam.

DIG Golam Kibria (Additional IGP Super Numerary) of Police Headquarters Special Security and Protection Battalion (SPBN) has been made the head of the committee. The committee has been asked to submit its report immediately.

Golam Kibria, head of the committee, said that the activities of the committee have started. The task of the committee is to find out what actually happened that day in the former SB chief's room. After the investigation, the committee will submit the report.

According to multiple police sources, SB chief Monirul Islam brought Tk 25 crore from Sheikh Hasina government and kept it in his room on August 3 to spend on suppressing anti-discrimination student movement. But before that money could be distributed, Sheikh Hasina's government collapsed in a student uprising on August 5. Monirul did not go to the office from that day. But some SB officials knew about the existence of 25 crore rupees in his room. They shut off the closed circuit camera and internet of the SB office and removed the money from Monirul's room sometime between August 6 and 12. A then Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) and an Additional DIG are alleged to be involved in this. After the news about this came out in the media, the police headquarters formed an investigation committee.

It is learnt that while withdrawing the money, they mentioned that they had 'important documents' and immediately after the fall of Sheikh Hasina government on August 5, she locked the room of the SB chief. On August 6, all the CCTV cameras of the SB office were switched off.

BCS 15 batch police officer Monirul Islam's house is in Muksudpur of Gopalganj. He was known as one of the most influential officers in the police during the Sheikh Hasina government. He was sent on compulsory retirement in a notification published by the Public Security Department of the Ministry of Home Affairs on August 13.

Earlier in the day, Monirul was removed from the post of SB chief and attached to the police headquarters. His wife Sayla Farzana is a BCS 17th batch administration cadre officer. Recently he has been made Officer on Special Duty (OSD) of the Ministry of Public Administration.