Ashraful Huda
{{Short description|Bangladesh police officer}}
{{infobox officeholder
| name = Ashraful Huda
| office = 19th Inspector General of Police of Bangladesh Police
| term_start = 15 December 2004
| term_end = 7 April 2005
| predecessor = Shahudul Haque
| successor = Mohammad Hadis Uddin
| nationality = Bangladeshi
| children = 2
}}
Ashraful Huda is a former officer of the Bangladesh Police who served as the Inspector General of Police during 2004–2005.{{Cite news |url=https://archive.thedailystar.net/2004/12/16/d4121601033.htm |title=President pardons Shahudul Haque : Ashraful Huda new IGP |work=The Daily Star |date=2004-12-15 |access-date=2018-11-07}} Ashraful joined the Pakistani army as a commissioned officer in 1967 and served in Bangladesh army after independence.
Career
Ashraf served as the principal of Bangladesh Police Academy from 1996 to 1997.{{Cite web|url=http://bpa.gov.bd/archive/former-principal/|title=Former Principal|publisher=Bangladesh Police Academy|language=en-US|access-date=2018-11-07|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181111091116/http://bpa.gov.bd/archive/former-principal/|archive-date=2018-11-11|url-status=dead}}
Ashraf took charge as the Commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) on 8 April 2003 after his retirement as deputy inspector general of police.{{Cite news |url=https://archive.thedailystar.net/2004/12/09/d4120901066.htm |title=Govt yet to act on verdict against IGP : Lobbying on for the post |work=The Daily Star |date=2004-12-09 |access-date=2018-11-07 }} He left the position of IGP when his contract expired on 7 April 2005.{{Cite news |url=https://bdnews24.com/bangladesh/mohammad-abdul-quaiyum-made-new-igp |title=Mohammad Abdul Quaiyum made new IGP |access-date=2018-11-07 |work=bdnews24.com |date=4 May 2005}}
=2004 Dhaka grenade attack case=
Ashraf was serving as the Dhaka Metropolitan Police commissioner during the incident of 2004 Dhaka grenade attack that killed 19 and injured over 200 others.{{Cite news |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/news-detail-226847 |title=Tarique, Babar indicted |date=2012-03-19 |work=The Daily Star |access-date=2018-11-02 |language=en}}{{Cite news |url=http://en.banglatribune.com/others/news/15591/Deliberate-attempts-made-to-destroy-evidence-of |title=Deliberate attempts to destroy Aug 21 attack evidence |work=Bangla Tribune |access-date=2018-11-07 |language=en}} He went abroad on the day of the attack. In July 2011, 30 people were added to the supplementary charge sheets of the grenade attack case which included Ashraf's name.{{Cite news |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/news-detail-192763 |title=The accused |date=2011-07-04 |work=The Daily Star |access-date=2018-11-02 |language=en}} Ashraf had appealed to a Dhaka court to discharge him from the cases twice in August and November the same year, but they were rejected.{{Cite news |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/news-detail-197838 |title=Bail petitions of 2 ex-IGPs rejected |date=2011-08-09 |work=The Daily Star |access-date=2018-11-02 |language=en}} In March 2012, Ashraf was charged and faced up to life-term imprisonment.{{Cite news |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/country/news/21-august-grenade-attack-verdict-october-10-1635517 |title=Aug 21 Grenade Attack Cases: Trial completes after 14 years |date=2018-09-19 |work=The Daily Star |access-date=2018-11-02 |language=en}} He was granted bail the next month.{{Cite news |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/news-detail-229719 |title=6 former cops granted bail |date=2012-04-10 |work=The Daily Star |access-date=2018-11-02 |language=en}}{{Cite news |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/news-detail-248170 |title=I took charge just 3 hours before incident |date=2012-09-03 |work=The Daily Star |access-date=2018-11-02 |language=en}}{{Cite news |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/city/court-reads-out-charges-four-accused-1431319 |title=Four accused including two ex-IGPs hear charges |date=2017-07-11 |work=The Daily Star |access-date=2018-11-02 |language=en}}
On 22 November 2024, the High Court concluded a hearing on the appeals and death references of the grenade attack cases. On 1 December 2024, Ashraful Huda, Tarique Rahman, Lutfozzaman Babar, and all other accused were acquitted by the court.{{Cite news |date=2024-12-02 |title=Aug 21 grenade attack: Tarique, Babar, all others acquitted |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/crime-justice/news/aug-21-grenade-attack-tarique-babar-all-others-acquitted-3765706?form=MG0AV3 |access-date=2025-02-02 |work=The Daily Star |language=en}}
= Police reform committee =
BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman formed a six-member committee, to prepare BNPs proposal to the interim government on the reformation of the police force. Ashraful Huda is a member on this committee, led by BNP Standing Committee member Hafiz Uddin Ahmed. On 14 November 2024, the committee submitted its proposals to BNP chairperson's office.{{Cite news |date=2024-11-16 |title=BNP prepares recommendations on police reform |url=https://en.bd-pratidin.com/national/2024/11/16/23166 |access-date=2025-02-02 |work=Bangladesh Pratidin |language=bn}}
Personal life
Ashraf is married to Hamida Khatun. His mother-in-law Zubaydah Khatun belonged to the Zamindar family of Gunahar.{{Cite news |date=30 March 2019 |script-title=bn:গুনাহার জমিদার বাড়ি দুপচাঁচিয়া, বগুড়া |language=bn |work=Bogura Live |url=http://www.boguralive.com/2019/03/30/%E0%A6%97%E0%A7%81%E0%A6%A8%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%B9%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%B0-%E0%A6%9C%E0%A6%AE%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%A6%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%B0-%E0%A6%AC%E0%A6%BE%E0%A7%9C%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%83-%E0%A6%A6%E0%A7%81%E0%A6%AA |access-date= |archive-url= |archive-date=}} They have a son named Shamsul Huda Romel. He was jailed by the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (CMM) Court in Dhaka in 2015 in connection with a Yaba pills case.{{Cite news |url=http://www.observerbd.com/2015/03/02/75531.php |title=Ex IGP's son sent to jail |work=The Daily Observer |date=2015-03-02 |access-date=2018-11-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181107145304/http://www.observerbd.com/2015/03/02/75531.php |archive-date=2018-11-07}}