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A total of 398 members of the Armed Police Battalion (APBn) working in Cox’s Bazar have been transferred in a mass reshuffle, with no reason cited in the transfer orders. The move comes after an APBn member was recently arrested with 54,000 yaba tablets.
The members were withdrawn and transferred to different districts through two separate orders issued on September 16 and 17. Most of them had been serving with APBn-16 at the Rohingya camps in Teknaf.
APBn-16 Teknaf commander Kawsar Sikder confirmed the transfers, saying members stationed at different upazilas and Rohingya camps in Cox’s Bazar had been transferred to various districts. He described the move as part of routine transfers.
Asked whether the mass transfers were linked to allegations of drug involvement, Sikder declined to comment. He said one member had been found involved in drugs during his tenure and was currently in jail.
Several APBn members have recently been arrested by law enforcement agencies while allegedly transporting yaba on motorcycles. Earlier, an APBn member was also arrested along with his wife while allegedly trafficking a large consignment of yaba.
The arrests have triggered negative public discussion and raised concerns over the image of the police. Local reports have suggested that the mass transfers may have been ordered by senior authorities to prevent drug-related involvement, particularly among members whose homes are in the Chattogram division. However, this has not been officially confirmed.
Earlier, more than 300 members, including the commander and deputy commander of RAB-15 (now SRB) in Cox’s Bazar, were transferred en masse following allegations of involvement in drugs and embezzlement of cash.
