An Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) attached to the Chunarughat Police Station in Habiganj district has been withdrawn from his duty post following the widespread circulation of a video clip showing him accepting a bribe.

The officer, identified as Atanu Banik, was captured on video negotiating and receiving cash from an individual regarding an ongoing legal case. The covertly recorded footage, which quickly gained traction across various social media platforms, shows the police officer seated near a pond whilst conversing with two individuals. In the clip, one person is seen smoking a short distance away, while another handovers a sum of money to the officer.

During the exchange, the individual handing over the cash is heard saying that he had kept his promise by bringing ten thousand taka, split into payments of six thousand and four thousand taka. In response, ASI Banik questions the amount, asking whether the agreed total was not fifteen thousand taka instead. The man promptly replies that the officer himself had initially specified ten thousand taka, to which both parties had previously agreed.

Undeterred by the clarification, the police officer demands an additional two thousand taka. The footage concludes with the individual handing over a further one-thousand-taka banknote to the officer.

Following the viral dissemination of the video, law enforcement authorities took swift action by removing ASI Banik from Chunarughat Police Station and attaching him to the district police lines pending further administrative procedures. Departmental proceedings and internal inquiries have been initiated to investigate the corruption allegations against the officer.

Corruption and bribery allegations involving field-level law enforcement personnel have frequently sparked public debate across Bangladesh, leading to heightened scrutiny from civil society and senior police administration. Senior officials within the police department reiterated their commitment to maintaining discipline and ensuring that any officer found engaging in professional misconduct or unlawful financial transactions faces strict disciplinary and legal action.