Police Discontent Grows Over Prolonged Promotion Delays

Discontent is growing within the police force over prolonged delays in promotions. Police officers who held key positions at Police Headquarters and the Special Branch (SB) for years under the Awami League government and helped policymakers suppress the BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami are now receiving the highest benefits, according to allegations. Over the past 17 years, promotions were withheld from many officers by labelling them as Chhatra Dal or Islami Chhatra Shibir supporters.

In many cases, these officers were transferred to remote areas of the country. Nearly two and a half years after the fall of the Awami League government, police officers accused of supporting the former ruling party are still securing important posts, including additional inspector general (Additional IGP), deputy inspector general (DIG), superintendent of police (SP) and officer-in-charge (OC), allegedly due to the influence of unseen forces. Officers who faced severe discrimination over the past 17 years remain uncertain about their transfers and promotions.

Police officers have called on the government to expedite promotions to the posts of DIG, additional DIG, SP, additional SP, assistant superintendent of police (ASP) and inspector to strengthen the chain of command within the force.

Several additional DIGs told Inqilab on condition of anonymity that promotions are assessed based on seniority, professional competence, merit, service records, annual confidential reports and intelligence verification reports. They said they should have been promoted two years ago. Many officers from other government cadres who joined the civil service through the same Bangladesh Civil Service (BCS) examinations have already received promotions.

Such professional discrimination has severely damaged the morale of affected officers, they said. The Superior Selection Board (SSB) should consider all relevant factors and promote officers based on merit, service records, dedication and integrity.

Several police officials said officers of the 25th BCS batch in the administration cadre had already become joint secretaries, while those from the 31st batch had become deputy secretaries. Officials from the 21st BCS batch in 21 of the 28 other cadre services, excluding police, had received promotions to Grade 3 posts long ago. However, police officers from the 21st batch have been waiting for four years to become DIGs, with no clear indication of when they will be promoted. Meanwhile, 25 DIG posts have remained vacant for the past several months.

They further said that more than 100 officers from the 20th, 21st and 22nd BCS batches, including those considered sympathetic to the BNP, had been denied promotions for years. Many were superseded 11 or 12 times during the previous government’s tenure. Officers from the 30th BCS batch have also remained additional SPs for 14 years. They said the problem could not be resolved without batch-wise promotions.

Overall, frustration, anger and declining motivation have spread among most officers across the batches. These feelings were expressed at a Police Officers Association meeting held on October 10, where officers from different batches voiced strong dissatisfaction and anger over promotion delays.

According to sources, around 155 ASPs from the 36th, 37th and 38th BCS batches are expected to be promoted to additional SP. Another 95 officers from the 28th, 29th and 30th BCS batches are awaiting promotion to SP.

Promotions to SP for officers from the 28th and 29th batches who previously became SPs through the creation of additional posts are also expected to be regularised this time. More than 60 SPs from the 22nd and 24th BCS batches had earlier been promoted to additional DIG through the creation of extra posts. Their promotions are also expected to be regularised.

Police Headquarters officials said around 25 senior officers from the 21st, 22nd and 24th BCS batches were being considered for promotion to DIG. Two officers from the 17th and 18th BCS batches could also be promoted to additional IGP. During the previous BNP-led government, promotions were granted in two phases. In those rounds, 10 DIGs were promoted to additional IGP.

A senior official at the Home Ministry told Inqilab that the Departmental Promotion Committee (DPC), led by the secretary of the relevant ministry, reviews promotions from ASP to SP. The Superior Selection Board (SSB), headed by the cabinet secretary, is responsible for promotions from additional DIG to additional IGP.

An additional IGP and two DIGs at Police Headquarters told Inqilab on condition of anonymity that they had witnessed how policymakers at the Home Ministry and Police Headquarters handled promotions and postings while maintaining the chain of command under four successive governments.

They said the opinions of senior police officials had previously received serious consideration in promotion and posting decisions. “But now, after promotions and postings are made, we learn about them by reading the official notifications,” they said.

Many officers who have recently been promoted are known to have close ties with the ousted Awami League government, according to allegations. Officers who received Bangladesh Police Medal (BPM) and President’s Police Medal (PPM) awards for suppressing opposition leaders and activists are also receiving promotions and desirable postings.

Moreover, some officers who served in highly sensitive positions at Police Headquarters and the Special Branch and allegedly assisted the Awami League government are now occupying key policymaking positions within the police force.

Officers from Awami League-linked families, as well as those who accompanied Sheikh Hasina on foreign visits while she was prime minister, are also reportedly receiving promotions and desirable postings. The officials expressed concern that if the country’s law-and-order situation deteriorates or a crisis emerges, these officers could once again build records of arresting and torturing BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami leaders and activists.