The Barishal Divisional Forest Officer (DFO), Kabir Hossain Patwari, has been temporarily suspended and attached to the Rangpur Divisional Forest Officer’s office following allegations that he deceived and married 17 women.
The decision was issued yesterday, Tuesday, in an official order signed by Farhina Ahmed, Secretary of the Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change.
Mihir Kumar Do, Conservator of Forests in the coastal region of Barishal, confirmed the suspension to media on Wednesday afternoon.
He stated that the ministry has issued a formal letter regarding the matter. Patwari’s duties as acting DFO of Barishal have now been assigned to Mohammad Zahidur Rahman Minya, Deputy Conservator of Forests of Patuakhali.
Meanwhile, a case has been filed in court against Kabir Hossain Patwari, accusing him of deceiving and marrying 17 women. The court has accepted the application and instructed the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) to investigate the matter and submit a report.
According to sources from the Forest Department, Patwari joined as DFO in Barishal on October 31, 2024, having previously served in Khulna.
Last Thursday, several women and their relatives staged a human chain in front of the Divisional Forest Officer’s office in Kashipur, Barishal, demanding justice. The women claimed to be the officer’s wives, alleging that he had tricked them into marriage.
The protest included victims such as Naznin Akter from Dhaka, Sonia Akter from Narayanganj, and Nasrin Akter from Khulna.
The women alleged that Patwari, while serving in different districts including Dhaka, Khulna, Sirajganj, and Bagerhat, lured them with promises of overseas study, government jobs, airline recruitment, or property, and subsequently married them. Several of these marriages ended prematurely due to dowry demands and physical abuse.
One of the latest allegations involves Khadija Akter, whom Patwari married on February 14 this year. According to Khadija, he forced her to transfer a portion of her family property the day after their wedding and, upon her refusal, expelled her from the official residence of the Barishal Forest Department. She said, “Kabir Hossain trapped me in a fraudulent marriage. When I refused to sign over my family property, he abused and evicted me.”
Court Case and PBI Investigation
On Tuesday, Government Counsel Hafiz Ahmed filed a court application against Kabir Hossain Patwari, accusing him of marrying 17 women through deception. Judge Sadik Ahmed accepted the application and ordered the PBI to investigate and submit a report. Assistant to the court bench, Rajib Majumdar, confirmed that the next hearing is scheduled for November 20.
Hafiz Ahmed, representing the complainants, said Patwari allegedly used promises of overseas education, government jobs, property, or airline recruitment to manipulate women into marriage.
Hailing from Motlob, Chandpur, Patwari reportedly carried out 17 sequential marriages across different districts, violating Section 6 of the Muslim Family Laws Ordinance, 1961.
According to the complainant, these actions not only broke the law but also severely undermined religious and social values.
