Abdur Raquib Khandaker

Abdur Raquib Khandaker (1 March 1933 – 25 August 2010), known prominently as A R Khandaker was the 8th Inspector General of Bangladesh Police.

Early life
Abdur Raquib Khandaker admitted in Uttar Shekhar Nagar Government Primary School. Later he continued his education from Rai Bahadur Sreenath Institution. He later graduated from Notre Dame College, Dhaka. He obtained 4th position (First Class) in Intermediate Exam and enrolled in Economics at the University of Dhaka. He was a resident student of Salimullah Muslim Hall. In 1952 he became the General Secretary of Athletics Team of SM Hall. Before joining in civil service, he briefly taught at Notre Dame College, Dhaka.

Bengali Language Movement
On 19 March 1948, governor general Muhammad Ali Jinnah visited then East Pakistan and on 21 March he declared that "Urdu, and only Urdu" would be Pakistan's state language. Abdur Raquib Khandaker attended that public reception and he along with his fellow batchmates protested his declaration. He also said in his biography published in 2001 that, this was the first time Jinnah faced public protest. Later on 24 March, Jinnah did the same thing in a student gathering in Curzon Hall. Jinnah faced furious protest from the students. Later a committee was formed in S M Hall to protest Jinnah's decision.

A R Khandaker actively participated in protests by the students. He and his friends were assaulted by the police on 21 February. Shaheed Abdus Salam was first admitted in Dhaka Medical College Hospital. Khandaker was also admitted alongside him in the same ward and witnessed his death three days later.

Before liberation
After completion of MA exam he got job offer from Father Martin, the principal of Notre Dame College, Dhaka as a lecturer in his college. Later he joined there as a lecturer of economics. His salary was 250 rupees a month. He also joined in Quaid-e-Azam College, which is currently known as Government Shaheed Suhrawardy College. In 1955 he passed the Central Superior Services exam of Pakistan (Civil Service of Pakistan).

Abdur Raquib Khandaker joined the Police Service of Pakistan in 1956. He completed his training in 1957 and later he was posted in Layallpur, which was renamed as Faisalabad in 1977.

In 1958 he attended the police conference in Hangu. Later that year he took military training in Peshawar. On 8 October, President Iskander Mirza declared marshal law and he had to return his post in Layallpur. Here he solved the case of Dr. Taz, a serial killer who operated in that area. This case made him famous in Layallpur.

A R Khandaker was transferred in Moulvibazar in March, 1961. During his time in Moulvibazar he met with an accident one night. He and his driver managed to escape the damaged vehicle unharmed. While they were returning to office on foot, they were confronted by a leopard. But it didn't attack them and disappeared in the jungle. In 1962, he shot a Royal Bengal Tiger dead, which wrecked havoc in nearby villages.

In July 1962, he was promoted to Additional SP and transferred to Chattogram. In 1965, he was transferred to Barishal.

A R Khandaker was promoted to SP in 1965 and transferred to Bogura. He was then served as SP Dinajpur from 1968. In 1969 he was appointed as SP Khulna. During the liberation war in 1971, he was transferred to Karachi.

After Liberation
Khandaker served as the Superintendent of Police in Khulna District in 1971 before the Bangladesh Liberation War. In 1974, Khandaker sustained an injury from an accident while on duty which affected him for the rest of his life.

From 1976 to 1986, Abdur Raquib Khandaker served as the president of the Bangladesh Football Federation.

In 1976, he was the Deputy Inspector General of Police stationed in the police headquarters in Dhaka. He also served as the Deputy Inspector General of Rajshahi Police range.

Khandaker was appointed as the third Commissioner of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police. He served from 2 February 1979 to 8 February 1982. Later he was appointed as the Commissioner of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police for a second term from 10 March 1983 to 4 April 1984.

Abdur Raquib Khandaker was stationed in the Permanent mission of Bangladesh to the United Nations and was elected to the United Nations Economic and Social Council in 1984. He served in the Crime Prevention and Control Committee of the United Nations.

Abdur Raquib Khandaker served as the 8th Inspector General of Bangladesh Police from 31 December 1985 to 28 February 1990. He served under military dictator Hussain Mohammad Ershad.

In 1999, Abdur Raquib Khandaker was awarded the National Sports Awards as a sports organizer and enthusiast. He wrote Society Politics & Civil Order: Memoirs of the Police Chief of Bangladesh on 1 January 2002. He wrote about experiences as a Bengali officer in the Pakistan establishment and later working in independent Bangladesh. He also wrote for The Daily Star as an columnist.

Death
Khandaker died on 25 August 2010.