Sunamganj Assistant Commissioner Blames UNO for His Death in Facebook Post, Taken to Dhaka for Treatment
Md Arifur Rahman Shanto, Assistant Commissioner (Land) of Jamalganj upazila in Sunamganj, has posted on Facebook blaming Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Shilpi Rani Modak for his death. The posts have created widespread sensation in the area.
The UNO has said the officer is mentally unwell. According to her, after he began behaving abnormally due to mental illness and trauma, he was taken to Dhaka for treatment.
The two posts were made late on Friday night from a Facebook ID named 'AC Land Jamalganj'. One post read, 'Shilpi Rani Modak will be responsible for my death.' A short while later, another post read, 'I resign from admin cadre.'
It has been learned that Arifur Rahman has been serving as Assistant Commissioner (Land) in Jamalganj for about two months. He had been living in the upazila headquarters with his wife.
It is also known that AC Land Arifur Rahman Shanto had been suffering from mental health problems for some time. Until now, however, the matter had remained confined within the family.
Describing the events, UNO Shilpi Rani Modak said her three-year-old daughter's birthday celebration was held on Friday night. AC Land Arifur Rahman attended the cake-cutting arrangement with his wife. But after leaving her home at the end of the programme, he made those controversial Facebook posts.
The UNO further said that, alongside making the posts after leaving the house, the AC Land began behaving abnormally. According to her, he beat an Ansar member and threatened to kill the UNO's three-year-old daughter. He is also alleged to have behaved rudely with whoever he met on the road.
Seeing the post on social media, Jamalganj Police Station Officer-in-Charge Bande Ali Mia and many others quickly went to the AC Land's home.
The OC said that, considering the situation there, a sleeping pill was given on his wife's advice. But as the dose was low in strength, he was not calming down.
Later, a specific injection was sought on a doctor's advice but could not be found locally. As he continued behaving severely abnormally inside the house, a decision was taken around 1am, in the presence of a doctor from the upazila health complex and family members, to send him to Sylhet for treatment.
After initial treatment in Sylhet, family members then took him to Dhaka for better treatment.
Expressing surprise at her name being mentioned in the Facebook post, UNO Shilpi Rani Modak said, 'Why he wrote my name is my question too. I myself cannot understand the matter.'
Discussion is continuing across Jamalganj over such posts and behaviour by a responsible government officer. Attention now turns to decisions by the authorities concerned regarding his treatment and the next administrative steps.
