TDS Desk:

There are some 22 posts of additional inspector general police (IGP) in Bangladesh Police. Only nine additional IGPs are in service at the moment. There are no permanent officials in the remaining posts. Apart from these 22 posts, there are seven more supernumerary posts of additional IGP. No one has been promoted to these posts either.

The police force is operating with vacancies in several significant posts. Some 119 DIGs, additional DIGs and SPs were attached to different units after being removed from their respective stations. They are effectively almost inactive now. Most of these officials now come to office only for attendance. They do not stay at the office and are not involved in any operation of the force.

In the meantime, as many as 82 top police officials, including one additional IGP, were made OSD at once. Numerous police officials have been absconding since the fall of the Awami League government in the face of a mass uprising last year. Many of them are accused of opening fire on protesting students and people indiscriminately, killing and direct involvement in various controversial activities during the Awami League regime.

The entire police force has been greatly affected as a consequence of the vacancies in so many significant posts and the absence of officials due to OSD and other reasons. According to relevant officials, most police unit heads did not receive full responsibility as Additional IGPs. There are many units where the same official is carrying out several responsibilities simultaneously.

Adding to this is the discontent among police officials of promotions and posting. It is more prevalent among the officials who were deprived of regular promotions during the 15-year-rule of the Awami League. Most of these officials are close to retirement now. Procrastination over promotions could result in officials retiring without receiving any promotion, despite the many vacant posts.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, a DIG of police “Some junior officials were promoted to posts above us on political considerations. I was never given any major post in the last 15 years. Now, I am close to my retirement. I’ll have to retire as a DIG, if I am not promoted in the next few months.”

Another top official says he can feel the mental state of the deprived officers. However, he said, “There is more concern about promotions and postings rather than how to turn around the police force and improve the law and order situation, which is more important now.”

IMPORTANT POSTS RUN AS ADDITIONAL DUTY

At present, there are nine serving additional IGPs with full responsibility. The two posts of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) commissioner and Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) director general (DG) are held by additional DIGs. These two posts are being filled up by two officials appointed on a contractual basis at the moment.

Apart from them, there are seven more additional IGPs. They are – Police Headquarters additional IGP (administration) Matiur Rahman Sheikh, additional IGP (development) Md Toufique Mahbub Chowdhury, Police Staff College rector Abu Hasan Muhammad Tarique, additional IGP (in the post of TR) Md Masudur Rahman Bhuiyan, River Police chief Kusum Dewan, Railway Police chief Sardar Tamijuddin Ahmed, Highway Police chief Md Delowar Hossain Mia and additional IGP (OSD) Mohammad Abdul Aleem Mahmud.

Although there are two grade-1 posts among the additional IGPs, none of the serving additional IGPs were given that. Recently, Criminal Investigation Department (CID) chief Md Matiur Rahman Sheikh was promoted as additional IGP (administration). However, he is yet to get grade-1.

Meanwhile, the post of CID chief became vacant with the transfer. CID director general Gazi Jashim Uddin is serving at the post as additional duty.

In many cases, it has been seen that the same person is serving two responsibilities. For instance, Police Headquarters additional IGP Md Toufique Mahbub Chowdhury is serving as the chief of the inspection and audit wing as additional duty in addition to being the chief of development wing. However, there are various discussions within the force regarding Toufique Mahbub Chowdhury, close relative of currently imprisoned former IGP Abdullah Al Mamun. He has been serving at the Police Headquarters for eight years.

Besides, the posts of different police unit chiefs including the head of the Special Branch (SB) and Industrial Police chief, which are held by IGPs, have been covered up by officials on additional duties. Relevant sources say all these officials are now eligible for a promotion.

Speaking regarding the vacant posts and non-promotion of eligible officials, IGP Baharul Alam that promotions in compliance with the police structure at all levels are under government consideration. Efficient officials will be promoted gradually to all vacant posts.

OTHER VACANT POSTS

According to relevant police sources, a total of 347 posts including DIG, additional DIG, SP, ASP and assistant police supers are vacant at the moment.

Of these, 152 are posts of DIG rank (87 granted regular posts and 65 supernumerary posts). There are some 134 serving DIGs at the moment. Some 15 regular and 3 supernumerary posts of DIGs are vacant now.

There are some 341 posts of additional DIGs including 201 granted and 140 supernumerary posts. Of that, only one post is vacant. There are 59 granted and 150 supernumerary posts of SP. Only one of these posts is vacant at the moment.

However, there are 138 vacant posts among the 1,008 posts of additional police supers (ASPs) whereas 189 of the 1,231 posts of assistant SPs are vacant. However, there have been some changes in the figures in recent times, relevant sources said.

MANY MADE OSD AND ATTACHED

At least 30 police officials who were in top posts and had completed 25 years at service during the AL-rule have been sent to forced retirement. Besides, some 82 officials were made OSD and 119 were attached to police lines. However, many of these officials were beneficiaries of the autocratic regime and were involved in different controversial activities to facilitate the then government. At the same, there are many officials who are accused of opening fire on protesting students and people during the July uprising. Many are accused of directly killing people.

According to the Public Security Division figures, of the 82 officials made OSD, 13 were DIGs and more than 50 were additional DIGs and 15 were SPs.

The Police Headquarters figures show some 119 top officials were removed from their stations and were attached to different police units following the fall of the Awami League government on 5 August. These officials include 30 DIGs, 29 additional DIGs and 60 SPs. Almost all of them are not active now.

These 119 police officials were attached to 21 units and agencies of the force. Of these, the highest 34 officials were attached to the DIG offices in Rajashahi and Rangpur range, 17 officials each. Besides, 11 were attached to Bangladesh Police Academy in Sarda, Rajshahi; 10 the Chattogram range DIG office, 12 in Barishal range and 11 in Sylhet range.

A police official in the same rank as SP, who was attached after 5 August, on condition of anonymity that, “I go to the office daily for my attendance and return after passing some time there without doing anything. The chief of the unit where I have been attached can use us. However, as the regime change came under a different context, we have not been given any work yet.”

NEGATIVE IMPACT ON DAILY OPERATIONS

The police officials say under the current circumstances, promotion of one top official clears the way for six to seven other officials to get promoted. When a post at a certain level remains vacant, officials from several levels suffer. So promotion of top officials is the only way out of the procrastination centering promotions of junior officials.

A Police Headquarters accord shows at least 23 officials at the rank of ASP and above have been arrested so far for shooting people to death during the mass uprising last year. Some 57 officials are into hiding or have been absent for more than two months.

Relevant persons say there are options to declare the posts of the absconding officials vacant. However, this process has been slow too. As a result, the promotion process has been stalled, which is further intensifying the discontent among the promotion-deprived officials. The overall police activities have been affected by this. The uncertainty surrounding promotion and posting is creating a negative impact on the chain of command of the force. The junior officials are showing reluctance in carrying out the orders from superiors.

DISCONTENT TO RISE WITHOUT PROMOTIONS

Former IGP Nurul Huda said, “It’s not a good practice to keep posts vacant. This will result in further unease and dissatisfaction within the phone. Steps should be taken to promote eligible officials to these empty posts and posts of absconding officials after declaring those vacant.”

He further said the officials who were deprived of their job facilities in the last 15 years were morally down and were subjected to social humiliation. They have got back the job after years. Given this, the more people are promoted, the better now, he said adding, “When your batch mates are promoted to two ranks above you, it will definitely create a negative impact.”