Authorise the PHQ to punish, promote SPs

Police officials yesterday demanded that the government authorise the Police Headquarters to investigate the SP-level officers and determine their transfers and promotions instead of the home ministry.

They also requested that the inspector general of police be included in the Superior Selection Board (SSB), an administrative body that scrutinises government officers' service records and recommends their promotion in the civil service and in autonomous organisations.

Presently, the home ministry senior secretary is the appeal officer for the departmental cases against SP-level officers. Since the inspector general of police is equivalent to the senior secretaries, the police officials demanded that the powers be given to the PHQ.

Harun Or Rashid, additional commissioner of Detective Branch of the DMP, placed the demand on behalf of police officials during a meeting with Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal on the fifth day of the police week yesterday.

Sources present at the meeting said the police officials also demanded an increase in the IGP's annual expenditure limit to Tk 50 crore from the current Tk 5 crore because the IGP is equivalent to a senior secretary.

The demands also included upgrading the IGP's rank to that of a four-star general and creating 10 Grade-1 posts in police from five.

There should be an autonomous university named Bangabandhu University of Police and Criminal Justice and a training academy near Dhaka.

Another high-ranking official demanded that the central police hospital be a medical college.

The police headquarters (PHQ) used to provide the family members of the deceased policemen with financial support. But now, the divisional commissioners have this responsibility now, an officer said and demanded that charge be given back to the PHQ.

A cyber wing at every police unit, measures to mitigate transport shortage for police, an additional basic salary of a month every year, and full retirement benefits for those who die while in service were among the other demands.

After listening to these demands, Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal said the demands were for the welfare of the police and the home ministry will look into the demands which fall under its jurisdiction.

He agreed to some of the demands while pointing out that some of the demands needed further consideration.

About SP rank's transfer and promotion, the home minister said that the senior secretary will look into the matter.

Police Week-2023 began on January 3 after two years due to the coronavirus restrictions.

Officers did not place any demand before Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina during the welfare parade at the capital's Rajarbagh Police Lines.

On the last day of the event today, police officials will meet ministers in the morning, the cabinet secretary in the afternoon, and the chief justice in the evening.