Jessore Police Officer Missing, Body Found Panchagarh

The disappearance of a police officer from Jessore has ended in sorrow and uncertainty, after his partially decomposed body was recovered more than three weeks later in the northern district of Panchagarh. The case has shocked both the local community and members of the police force, raising troubling questions about how a serving officer could vanish and be found so far from home under such mysterious circumstances.

The deceased has been identified as Akhtaruzzaman, aged 46, a constable with the Bangladesh Police. He had taken official leave from his workplace and travelled to his family home in Chougachha, Jessore, shortly before going missing. Akhtaruzzaman was posted at Rampal Police Station in Bagerhat, under the Khulna Range, and was regarded by colleagues as a dutiful and disciplined officer.

On Thursday, 18 December, local residents in the Nine Mile area of Satmera Union, Panchagarh Sadar Upazila, discovered a partially decomposed body lying inside a sugarcane field. Alarmed by the sight, they immediately informed the police. Officers from Panchagarh Sadar Police Station arrived at the scene and recovered the body, which was initially registered as unidentified due to its condition.

The following day, Friday, 19 December, the mystery began to unravel. Sub-Inspector Belal Hossain of Panchagarh Sadar Police Station collected photographs of the clothing and personal effects found on the body. These were circulated to various police stations across the country, cross-referenced with missing persons’ general diaries (GDs). Later that afternoon, officers from Chougachha Police Station showed the images to Akhtaruzzaman’s family members, who confirmed his identity based on his clothing and belongings.

Speaking to the media, Akhtaruzzaman’s brother-in-law, Mamunur Rashid, said the family recognised the body without doubt. “We identified him by the clothes he was wearing and the items found with him. It is my brother-in-law’s body,” he said.

According to Ashraful Islam, Officer-in-Charge of Panchagarh Sadar Police Station, preliminary assessments suggest that the death occurred approximately two to three weeks prior to the recovery of the body. However, due to the advanced state of decomposition, it remains unclear whether the death was the result of homicide or other causes. He confirmed that both the police and the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) would conduct a thorough investigation.

Further details were provided by Rezaul Karim, Officer-in-Charge of Chougachha Police Station. He said that Akhtaruzzaman’s wife, Shahina Akhtar, had filed a general diary on 28 November. According to the GD, Akhtaruzzaman arrived home on 26 November after taking five days’ leave. The following morning, he left the house saying he was travelling to Maheshpur, but never returned. Notably, he had left his mobile phone behind at home.

As investigators now attempt to trace his movements and determine the cause of death, the case has cast a sombre shadow over his family and colleagues, who continue to await answers.

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