Shawdesh Desk:

The government on Monday withdrew Deputy Commissioner of Kurigram Sultana Pervin two days after local journalist Ariful Islam Rigan was picked up from his home at dead of night and sentenced to one-year in jail on charges of allegedly possessing narcotics.

Deputy Secretary of Public Administration Ministry Rezaul Karim has been appointed as new DC of Kurigram.

Public Administration Ministry issued a gazette notification in this regard today.

Meanwhile, three magistrates of Kurigram district administration have been withdrawn for their alleged involvement in torturing journalist Ariful Islam Rigan.

They are — Senior Assistant Commissioner Nazim Uddin, Assistant Commissioner Rintu Bikash Chakma and assistant commissioner SM Rahatul Islam.

According to a notification issued by the public administration ministry, they will be now attached to the ministry.

Earlier on the day, State Minister for Public Administration Farhad Hossain said that the Kurigram DC would be withdrawn as the cabinet division found strong evidence of irregularities against her.

On early Saturday, a mobile court sentenced journalist Ariful Islam Rigan to one year in jail and fined him Tk 50,000 on charges of allegedly possessing narcotics.

Ariful, Kurigram district correspondent for Dhaka Tribune and online news portal Bangla Tribune, was picked up from his home and jailed after he ran a news report on the district administration on May 19 last year.

His report highlighted Kurigram’s Deputy Commissioner Sultana Pervin’s purported intention to name a government pond in the town after herself following its re-excavation and renovation.