Bangladesh Police - Human resources and training

[Maisson]

230 posts of SPs to be created soon

Supernumerary posts also to be abolished
Deepak Acharjee, Dhaka

The government has decided to create 230 posts of superintendents of police (SPs) after abolishing 230 supernumerary posts of SPs in the police department soon.

The decision was taken at a Departmental Promotion Committee (DPC) meeting, held in the Security Services Division of the home ministry, with additional secretary (police and NTMC), Md Nurul Islam, in the chair on Tuesday, home ministry sources said.

The new posts of SPs would be created in different wings of the police, including the police headquarters, Special Branch (SB), Criminal Investigation Department (CID), and the Police Investigation Bureau (PBI), the sources added. The Security Service Division had created the 230 supernumerary posts of SPs on November 8, 2018, for one year to promote 230 additional superintendents of police (Addl. SPs) to the higher post of SP,  the sources added.

With the proposed 230 posts, the strength of SPs will be over 500. Talking to The Independent, Md Nurul Islam said they will send their decision to create 230 SP posts to the Ministry of Public Administration and the Finance Division seeking their approval. “After getting the approval, we will prepare a proposal, which would be sent to the Secretary Committee on Administrative Improvement Affairs. We will take further steps after getting the recommendation from the Secretary Committee,” he added.

Sources said the 230 supernumerary posts of SPs will be abolished when the Security Service Division issues a gazette notification in this regard after completing all the process.

According to the sources, the "22", "24", and "25" batches of the Bangladesh Civil Service (BCS) police cadre are working as supernumerary SPs in different wings in the police department. There could be problems in promoting the supernumerary SPs to the higher post if they are not in permanent posts, the sources claimed.

During the regime of Sheikh Hasina, the police authorities have formed several police units, such as the Police Bureau of Counter Terrorism, Rangpur Metropolitan Police, Gazipur Metropolitan Police, and the Airport Armed Police Battalion.

The police department has also formed an industrial police unit, Rangpur Range, Range Reserve Force (RRF) of Rangpur, Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI), two Security Protection Battalions, 30 In-service Training Centres, Tourist Police, and Naval Police unit. It also set up a number of new police stations and police investigation centres by creating a number of posts.

Members of the Bangladesh Police play a crucial role in maintaining peace and enforcing law and order. Currently, there are about 212,000 police personnel.

[Rezwan12]

12:00 AM, February 23, 2020 / LAST MODIFIED: 12:41 AM, February 23, 2020

New armed police to start working in Cox’s Bazar

Mohammad Jamil Khan

A new police battalion is going to start its operation in coastal district Cox's Bazar from February 28.

The Armed Police Battalion (APBn)-16 is the second such special battalion to maintain law and order of the district and ensure security of Rohingyas.

"We will begin our operational activities in Cox's Bazar from February 28," Hemayetul Islam, commanding officer (CO) of newly formed APBn-16, told The Daily Star on Thursday.

"We are now finalising appointment of our staff members and official procedures from Dhaka," he added.

On November 12 last year, the home ministry approved formation of the battalion with 588 manpower. A superintendent of police will be its CO.

Its prime task will be to maintain law and order of the coastal district, according to a ministry order.

Upon the order, official activities of the battalion have begun from January 1, said the APBn-16 commanding officer.

Asked about the delay in recruiting manpower, SM Aktaruzzaman, additional deputy inspector general (O&M) of Police Headquarters (PHQ), said it took some time to start operation of the battalion as they had to appoint officials from different police units.

On December 3, 2018,the home ministry approved establishment of another special battalion named Armed Police Battalion (APBn)-14, which has also 588 manpower, including a SP as its CO. The battalion started working in the district on December 27 that year.

Earlier in 2018, the PHQ proposed formation of the two battalions.

Around 1,176 officials of APBn-14 and APBn-16 will start working jointly from February 28. Besides, some 225 police personnel from Cox's Bazar police will be working with the battalions, said officials.

In May last year, Cox's Bazar police, in a report to the PHQ, also recommended establishment of the second battalion to deal with the rising number of crimes.

Contacted, ABM Masud Hossain, superintendent of Cox's Bazar police, told this newspaper on Thursday that they were hopeful that the new battalion would make their task of maintaining law and order easier.

Regarding Rohingyas' involvement in crimes, Masud said a large number of the refugees was passing their days idle. So, it is a general tendency that many of them would get involved in crimes. "But the situation is still under our control," he added. 

The district police has also suggested installing barbed wire fences surrounding the refugee camps. 

In this regard, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan said the fences were being erected around the Rohingya camps as per the instructions of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

"Bangladesh Army has started erecting barbed wire fences around the Rohingya camps. The main objective of installing the fences is that Rohingyas remain limited to their camps," the minister said on February 15.

Presently, Bangladesh hosts some 11 lakh Rohingyas, of whom 743,000 came during the latest influx following the brutal military crackdown in Rakhine State beginning on August 25, 2017.

Beside Rohingyas, Cox's Bazar district is also known as the gateway of smuggling yaba tablets into Bangladesh from Myanmar.

Around 1,250 yaba dealers have been enlisted by law enforcers in eight upazilas of Cox's Bazar, showed a database of the district police. Of them, 912 are from Teknaf.

Sources claimed that the yaba dealers are now using the Rohingyas for smuggling the pills into Bangladesh.

Law enforcers arrested some 98 yaba peddlers in December last year, including 45 Rohingyas.

Since May 4, 2018, law enforcers started a war against narcotics and 209 people were killed in "gunfights" with law enforcers in the district alone till December last year. Of them, 56 were Rohingyas, shows the district police database. 

 

https://www.thedailystar.net/backpage/news/new-armed-police-start-working-coxs-bazar-1871677

[Rezwan12]

12:00 AM, March 05, 2020 / LAST MODIFIED: 08:33 AM, March 05, 2020

Metro rail to get special police unit

Mohammad Jamil Khan

The government is planning to form a separate police unit to ensure security at metro rail stations which are currently under construction.

A proposal for a 809-member unit, "Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) Police Force" was approved by the home ministry in March last year. According to the proposal, submitted by Police Headquarters, a total of 104 police outposts will be set up in each stoppage of metro rail.

The home ministry sent the proposal to public administration ministry for its approval of the unit with the mentioned manpower, according to officials.

"The proposal is now pending with public administration ministry," SM Aktaruzzaman, additional DIG (O&M) of Police Headquarters (PHQ), told The Daily Star recently.

Asked about the necessity of setting up police outposts in each stoppage, he said there will be ATM booths, equipment, and small stores in each station.

The new unit will ensure that the establishment remains safe alongside the people passing through, added the police official.

Police Headquarters' initial proposal to the home ministry demanded a manpower of 1,039 officials for the MRT police force.

Following the proposal, the ministry held a meeting on July 16 last year.

Presided over by Additional Secretary (Police & NTMC) of Public Security Division, the meeting approved a manpower of 809 people, and decided that a Deputy Inspector General (DIG) rank officer will be appointed chief of the unit, said ministry sources.

Afterwards a forwarding letter was sent to the public administration ministry on November 12 last year and now it's pending for approval.

Construction work of six metro rail lines is underway at the capital with the government aiming to complete it by 2030.

The six lines will create a 128.74km metro rail network, which will have 104 stations -- 53 underground and 51 elevated, according to Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited.

Additional DIG Aktaruzzaman said initially they had submitted a proposal to the ministry in 2018 demanding an increase in manpower of the existing railway police force.

"But Dhaka Mass Rapid Transit Development Project's director wanted a separate police unit for its maintenance. They pursued the higher authorities in this regard," said Aktaruzzaman.

Besides that, the secretary of ministry of the road transport and bridges also sent a letter to the secretary of home ministry requesting formation of a separate MRT police unit on December 19, 2018.

As metro rail is a novel concept in the country and a high profile transit project, a special unit is necessary to maintain order, said police officials.

"The prime minister was also interested in the formation of a special MRT police unit and we are hopeful we'll get the approval soon," said Aktaruzzaman.

But it will still take some time to get the unit functioning, as a new unit also needs a law and curriculum, he added.

The MRT police unit proposal also includes setting up sub-headquarters in each of the metro rail depot and sub-office at interchange spots.

Among the manpower, the unit will have one additional DIG, three superintendent of police, four additional SP, three assistant superintendent of police, 14 inspectors, 21 sub-inspectors, 74 assistant sub-inspectors, 25 nayek and 639 constables, reads the proposal.

The unit also proposed for approval of 96 different types of vehicles. The annual expenditure of the unit will be around 39.72 crore Tk, the proposal added.

MRT line-6, which connects Uttara with Motijheel, is expected to be completed by December 2021.

MRT line-1 will connect Kamalapur with Shahjalal International Airport. This will be the first underground metro rail system, expected to be completed by 2026.

Line-5's northern route will run from Hemayetpur of Savar to Bhatara via Gabtoli, Mirpur and Gulshan, consisting underground and elevated sections. This is expected to be completed in 2028.

The southern route will connect Gabtoli with Purba Dasherkandi consisting underground and elevated sections. The expected deadline is 2030.

MRT line-2, which will be both elevated and underground, will link Gabtoli to Chattogram Road via Kamalapur. Kamalapur will be connected with Narayanganj by the underground MRT line-4.

 

https://www.thedailystar.net/city/news/metro-rail-get-special-police-unit-1876645

[Maisson]

215 new Police SP posts created

The ministry of home affairs today created 215 new posts of superintendent of police in its organogram.

With the latest additions, the total posts in Bangladesh Police from constable to inspector general of police stands at 2,12,744, according to a circular signed by Tahmina Begum, deputy secretary of the home ministry.

Nearly one and half years back, 230 police officials got "in-situ promotions" as superintendent of police (SP) from their posts of additional superintendents, but they could not take charge as no such posts were vacant at the time.

The police official who got the "in-situ promotion" will be appointed against the newly created 215 SP posts, a source at the police headquarters told The Daily Star seeking anonymity.   

An "in-situ" official is someone who continues to hold the same office and performs the same duties even after being given a higher position.

As a result, these officials are still performing their duties as additional SPs, which has been demoralising for them, the source said.

The 230, however, have been enjoying all the financial benefits of an SP since the promotions.

Aiming to resolve the crisis, the PHQ recently proposed creating the new SP posts in the force after removing the same number of additional SP posts from the organogram.

[Maisson]

Benazir Ahmed becomes new IGP

Abdullah Al-Mamun named new Rab DG

Benazir Ahmed has been appointed the new Inspector General of Police, according to a home ministry circular issued today.

The order will come into effect on April 15. Benazir will succeed Mohammad Javed Patwary.

Benazir was serving as Director General, Rapid Action Battalion -- the elite force of Bangladesh Police -- since January 2015.

Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun has been appointed as the new Rab DG.

Benazir joined Bangladesh Police Service as Assistant Superintendent of Police in February 1988. He has served in various capacities of Bangladesh Police where he proved his professionalism, dedication and excellence.

He has served as Superintendent of Police in various districts, Deputy Police Commissioner North-Dhaka Metropolitan Police, Assistant Inspector General of Police-Police Headquarters, Deputy Inspector General (Finance) and Deputy Inspector General (Admin & Op) - Police Headquarters, Police Commissioner-Dhaka Metropolitan Police.

Moreover, he also had the opportunity to serve as Chief Instructor in Bangladesh Police Academy, Sardah and as Commandant of Police Training Center, Tangail.

He has received various professional trainings from home and abroad. Mentionable are: comprehensive security response to terrorism, Asia Pacific Center for Security Studies, Hawaii, United State of America; intelligence analysis & assessment, Charles Strut University, Canberra, Australia in association with Australian Crime Commission & Australian Federal Police; anti money laundering & financing of terrorism, IMF Regional Training Center, Singapore; and HR management, UN Training Center in New York, USA.

Benazir has been blessed with accolades, awards and medals for his outstanding professionalism and dedication, among which are: Inspector General Police Exemplary Good Service Badge; UN Medal for the Service for Peace in Bosnia-1996, in Kosovo-2003, UN HQ, USA-2009; and outstanding Bangladesh Police Medal, (BPM) in 2011, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2018 and 2019.

[Rezwan12]

02:30 PM, December 05, 2020 / LAST MODIFIED: 02:39 PM, December 05, 2020

140-member contingent of Bangladesh Police leaves Dhaka to join peacekeeping mission in Mali

Star Online Report

Photo: collected

A 140-member contingent of Bangladesh Police left Dhaka by a chartered aircraft last night to join a UN peacekeeping mission in Bamako, the capital of Mali.

Commander Belal Uddin, a superintendent of police, is leading the 70-member Bangladesh Formed Police Unit (BANFPU-1) seventh rotation while SP Muhammad Abdul Wahab is the commander BANFPU-2 third rotation, having the rest 70 members.

Deputy Inspector General (Welfare) Bashir Uddin Ahmed and officials of the UN Affairs Wing saw them off at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, says a press release sent by Sohel Rana, assistant inspector general of Police Headquarters.

Police members have been serving in the UN peacekeeping mission in Bamako since 2013, it said, adding another BANFPU has been working in the Gundam area of the Timbuktu region in the Sahara desert in the northern part of Mali since 2017.

The press release said the dedicated members of Bangladesh Police have brightened the image of country in the international arena by performing their duties with professionalism, overcoming the adverse weather and inaccessible geographical location.

 

https://www.thedailystar.net/world/news/140-member-contingent-bangladesh-police-leaves-dhaka-join-peacekeeping-mission-mali-2006201

[Kamikaze]

Tactical belts for cops

Bangladesh Police will be introducing tactical belts for officials involved in operational duty and patrols, as part of its efforts to better equip the force and make the policing system more efficient. 

Once introduced, police officials will no longer need to carry objects like guns, batons, handcuffs and wireless handsets in their hands, said officials of Police Headquarters (PHQ).

"We have almost completed necessary processes to distribute the tactical belts. We plan to distribute them on December 16," Tawfique Mahbub Chowdhury, deputy inspector general (logistics) of PHQ, told The Daily Star.

Made of nylon and polyester, a belt will have six chambers where a small water bottle, wireless set, POS machine for traffic fines, torch, collapsible baton and handcuffs can be kept. A small thigh belt will be attached with the tactical belt to hold the gun, said officials of PHQ's equipment section.

The officials hinted at some more changes to come in the force. For example, every member, ranking from constable to sub-inspector, who will take part in operations or patrols, will only use pistols instead of large firearms.

The provision of using large firearms by operation forces or patrol teams will be abolished, they said.

The belts will initially be provided to operation and patrol teams of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) and Chattogram Metropolitan Police (CMP). Later, they will be distributed among all other police unit members across the country in phases, said sources.

A high-official of PHQ, requesting anonymity, said they have already prepared around 10,000 belts, out of which, around 7,000 will be given to DMP and 3,000 to CMP.

Shafiqul Islam, commissioner of DMP, said the belts will make the force members more efficient and speed up their working capacity.

Inspector General of Police (IGP) Benazir Ahmed has taken the initiative so officers do not need to carry objects in their hands during time of operation.

HANDS FREE FOR DUTY

Another high-official of PHQ, requesting anonymity, said there will even be a headphone attached to the wireless handset, so they can hear every update, and a mic on their shirt's collar to send messages.

During operations, they will be able to swiftly take their gun out from the thigh holster, and use their left hand to take the handcuffs out from the belt, said the official.

As police officials remain on the street round the clock, they will now be able to carry water bottles using the belts.

Beside officials involved in foot, mobile and police station patrols -- the belts will also be provided to officials involved with traffic control, said PHQ officials.

Police officials in developed countries also use such belts, said another high-official of PHQ.

"We are planning to provide digital sticks to officers involved in traffic duty along with the belt. The sticks will light up, showing the 'stop sign'…" he said.

In future, a body-worn camera system will be integrated with the belts, and high-officials will be able to connect with the operation team directly and see live updates through the cameras, said an official, requesting anonymity.