The nameplate commemorating former Detective Branch (DB) Assistant Commissioner Rabiul Karim, who was killed during the 2016 Holey Artisan Bakery terrorist attack, has disappeared from the main gate of the DB headquarters on Minto Road, with police unable to explain how or when it was removed.
The entrance had been named “Rabiul Gate” in honour of the slain officer. However, the commemorative nameplate is no longer in place.
Despite the DB headquarters being one of the capital's most heavily guarded police facilities, with round-the-clock security and CCTV surveillance, police have so far failed to explain who removed the nameplate, when it was taken down or under whose instruction.
Contacted by this correspondent, Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Additional Deputy Commissioner (Media and Public Relations) Niaz Mehedi said he had spoken to the DB's Additional Commissioner, who confirmed that the gate's official name had not been changed.
However, he said the authorities had no information about who removed Rabiul Karim's nameplate or when it disappeared.
On July 1, 2016, Rabiul Karim and Banani Police Station Officer-in-Charge Salahuddin Khan were critically injured in a bomb attack while leading the initial rescue operation during the Holey Artisan Bakery terrorist attack in Gulshan. Both later succumbed to their injuries.
The following day, law enforcement personnel recovered the bodies of 20 hostages from inside the restaurant.
Rabiul Karim was a member of the 30th Bangladesh Civil Service (Police) batch. According to several police officers, the 'Rabiul Gate' nameplate was still in place in October 2024. It also remained intact after the political changeover on August 5, 2024, when an attempt was made to vandalise the DB headquarters.
Police officers familiar with the matter believe the nameplate was removed sometime after October 2024. However, no explanation has yet been given as to who ordered its removal or why the tribute to the slain officer was taken down.
