Staff Correspondent:

After the secretaries and additional secretaries, the government has now sent four Deputy Inspector Generals of Police (DIGs) on forced retirement.

The government has taken the decision in the “public interest”, according to four separate gazette notifications issued by the Police Branch of the Public Security Division of the Ministry of Home Affairs on Sunday (February 23).

The four DIGs are Md Nisharul Arif (attached to the Anti-Terrorism Unit), Md Abdul Quddus Amin, (attached to the Naval Police in Dhaka), Amena Begum (attached to the Highway Police in Dhaka) and Azad Mia (attached to the Highway Police in Dhaka).

They’ll continue to enjoy post-retirement facilities as per the rules.

The development comes just days after the public ministry sent three secretaries and 18 additional secretaries on forced retirement for their roles in the last three national polls under the ousted Awami League regime on 20 February.

Speaking on the day, Public Administration Senior Secretary Md Mokhlesur Rahman said the government has decided to retire former deputy commissioners (DCs), who have completed 25 years of service as govt employees and served as returning officers in 2014, 2018 and 2024 elections.

Besides, former DCs, who are yet to complete 25 years of government service, will be made Officers on Special Duty (OSD) for their role as returning officers in the said elections.

Mokhlesur said the former DCs did not object to those elections. They implemented the government’s orders.

Officials of the Ministry of Public Administration had said at the time that action would be taken against the police officers who participated in those elections as well as the public administration officials, he added.