Dhaka: A total of 76,426 members of Bangladesh Police were punished for their involvement in various types of crimes and irregularities in five years and eight months till August 31 this year.

Among them, 551 were dismissed or sacked and 72 faced forced retirement after the allegations against them were proved, said a senior officer at the Police Headquarters in the capital.

The accused members were given four types of punishment - major and minor punishments, and dismissal and forced retirement - following the principle that police force do not take responsibility of personal offences, said the official.

Contacted, Additional Deputy Inspector General (Discipline) of the Police Headquarters Alim Mahmud told UNB that transparency and accountability have increased in the police force and no one of the department is spared for his or her personal misdeed.

Meanwhile, the Police Headquarters have found the involvement of its Detective Branch (DB) Assistant Commissioner (AC) Snigdha Akhter and his four team members in extorting money from real state businessman KM Akkas following physical torture.

The Police Headquarters recommended taking punitive action against AC Snigdha Akhter and inspector Alim, sub-inspector Motahar, assistant sub-inspector Ashraf and constable Rahmat -- as the allegation brought against them was found to be true.

Talking to UNB, Additional DIG (Discipline) of the Police Headquarters Abdul Alim Mahmud said they have already submitted their probe report to the Inspector General of Police (IGP) in this regard.

‘We’ve found the involvement of Snighdha and four other policemen in extorting money from KM Akkas. We’ve recommended for taking departmental action against them,’ said Alim.

Alim said KM Akkas, who is an interior designer, also works in the estate department of Al Afsar Group in Chittagong. Besides, he has a real estate business in Chittagong jointly with some of his friends.

When Akkas arrived in Dhaka by a Regent Airways flight on February 28 last, he was picked up by a DB team of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) from the airport, it was alleged.

The plainclothes police team took him to the DB Headquarters in Minto Road and took Tk 20 lakh he was carrying, Alim said citing the allegation and added that the DB police took his photograph along with a firearm on his hand.

He was kept detained at the DB office for seven days and the DB team members demanded Tk 80 lakh from him for his release.

Amid repeated physical torture, Akkas gave them Tk 8.90 lakh, which was sent from Chittagong through NRB Global Bank, BKash and SA Paribahan.

Finally, Akkas was released on the condition that he would give the DB team 20 lakh more on March 5 and sent to Chittagong by a Regent Airways flight, Akkas said, adding that AC Snighdha provided him with the air ticket.

Taking to UNB over phone, Akkas alleged that he has been passing days with anxiety for the last several days as some plainclothes men tried to pick him up from Kakrail area of the capital 8-10 days ago.

Besides, he is receiving threat on his mobile phone, he claimed.