By Md. Raihan Hossain, Sylhet
The Sylhet-Tamabil highway was once a safe route for smuggling goods, including sugar and other contraband items from India. Using this route, smugglers regularly transported crores worth of smuggled goods via the border areas of Jaintapur, Kanaighat, and Gowainghat upazilas to markets in Sylhet and across the country. Due to the immediate involvement of local government-affiliated leaders, members of the border security force, and administration officials in these smuggling activities, it was nearly impossible to put an end to smuggling in the region.
Recently, Md. Rezaul Karim, PPM-Service, who was promoted to Additional DIG of the Anti-Terrorism Unit, was appointed as the new Commissioner of Sylhet Metropolitan Police (SMP). From the very beginning, he took a strong stance against smugglers. Gradually, news of confiscated smuggled goods on this highway began surfacing in the media. In November last year, aiming to reduce smuggling on this route to zero, the Police Commissioner entrusted SI Md. Sanaul Islam with the responsibility of in-charge at the Shah Paran (R.) Police Investigation Center.
When SI Sanaul joined, many people thought he would follow in the footsteps of his predecessors. However, under the directives of the Police Commissioner, and with the full cooperation of the Deputy Commissioner of the South Zone and the Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Shah Paran (R.) Police Station, SI Sanaul achieved the impossible, earning the nickname “Magicman.”
Since taking charge, and over the course of just four and a half months till March this year, SI Sanaul’s operations have resulted in the seizure of large consignments of deadly drugs and various smuggled goods, the arrest of 55 individuals, and the filing of 46 regular cases, according to multiple police sources. Within this short time, he has confiscated nearly BDT 17 crore worth of Indian smuggled goods, earning him widespread praise from people of all walks of life.
SI Sanaul’s role has garnered satisfaction among locals, who believe that such honest, skilled, and courageous officers are the pride of the police force. Many feel that the nation requires more police officers like him to maintain public trust. Since his appointment, SI Sanaul has demonstrated exceptional skill in controlling crime, preventing theft, robbery, extortion, mugging, and drug abuse, as well as addressing political violence. His achievements include the recovery of countless amounts of drugs, arrests of offenders, and the prevention of drug aggression in the area.
SI Sanaul has been named the Monthly Best Officer of SMP four consecutive times and has received commendation certificates and cash rewards twice during crime review meetings of SMP.
The Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Shah Paran (R.) Police Station, Monir Hossain, told the media, “Under the guidance of the Police Commissioner, we are working beyond the influence of bribes and corruption. If any police personnel in my station is found to be involved in any crime, I will not hesitate to hold them accountable.” He added, “Since September last year, we have filed 62 separate cases and arrested a total of 132 accused, sending them to jail through the court. This trend is continuing.”
