Imminent changes in police, RAB top brass

 
A great deal of lobbying and persuasion are going on to get hold of the top posts in police force and Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) as the officers holding the highest echelons in these two departments are going to be reshuffled soon, administrative sources have informed.

Reportedly the government is going to reshuffle high-ranking police officers and senior RAB officers keeping in view the upcoming national election which is supposed to be held at the end of 2023. Reports have surfaced that some police officers have been in touch with Members of Parliament (MPs), ministers, political leaders and top bureaucrats for reaching the peak ranks in their service.

There will be new faces in some top positions in different units of police department as either the retirement age of the incumbent officials in those posts is nearing within a couple of months or they are going to be given new posts.

The posts include Inspector General of Police (IGP), additional inspector general (administration) of Police Headquarters (PHQ), Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) Director General and Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Commissioner.

It may be added that RAB DG & Additional IGP Chowdhury Abdullah Al Mamun is well-known as an efficient and transparent officer. Additional IGP SM Ruhul Amin is admired in police department as a competent and reputed officer. Besides, Additional IGP Monirul Islam has played vital roles in terminating militancy and terrorism. He carried out strong measures to resist radical groups following the attack on Holey Artisan Café in July 2016. Many officials have already started lobbying for their preferred posts, said sources at the Home Ministry and PHQ.

IGP Benazir Ahmed will reach retirement age on September 30.

According to government rules, an official goes into post-retirement leave (PRL) after turning 60.

Names of several officials are being talked about as the next police chief.

Some officials say Benazir Ahmed would continue in the post on a one-year contract. Others, however, say he might be replaced with another competent official.

The name of RAB Director General Chowdhury Abdullah Al Mamun, an official of eighth BCS batch, is coming to the fore as the next IGP. He will reach retirement age on January 11.

Other names include SM Ruhul Amin, Mallick Faqrul Islam and Md Kamrul Ahsan, all officers of 12th BCS batch, the sources added.

If Benazir Ahmed stays in the post through a one-year contract, Monirul Islam, an official of 15th BCS batch and the incumbent chief of the Special Branch of police, might be made the next IGP. This is because the 12th BCS batch officials will reach close to their retirement age within the possible one-year contract period of Benazir Ahmed.

CID chief Mahbubur Rahman went into PRL on July 30. After he reached the retirement age on July 31 last year, the government reappointed him on a one-year contact. This position is of the rank of additional inspector general. The sources said names of two officials -- Md Atiqul Islam of 12th BCS batch and Mohammad Ali Miah of 15th BCS batch -- were being discussed as CID chief. An official order has already been issued making Mohammad Ali Miah as the chief of CID.

Md Moinur Rahman Chowdhury, additional IG (admin) of PHQ, will reach retirement age on September 2. SM Ruhul Amin, a 12th BCS batch official from Gopalganj, is thought to be the favourite to replace Moinur Rahman Chowdhury.

Mallick Faqrul might be appointed the next RAB chief if incumbent DG Mamun is made the police chief.

However, the name of Md Mahbubur Rahman, an officer of 15th BCS batch, is also coming to the fore as the next RAB chief.

DMP Commissioner Shafiqul Islam was appointed for one-year contract on October 28 last year. His joining date as commissioner was September 13, 2019 and his service age ends on October 30. He will discharge duty as DMP chief for a period of one year till October 30 or the date of joining.

Habibur Rahman, deputy inspector general of Dhaka Range, may replace him. An official of 17th BCS batch, Habibur Rahman hails from Gopalganj.

But a group of police officials is lobbying for Mahbubur Rahman to take over as DMP chief. Mahbubur Rahman, who hails from Jamalpur, is now serving Industrial Police.

In a major reshuffle of the top administration of the police force, 50 SPs were transferred and given new posts on August 3. Forty of them were transferred to as many districts in what officials said was the largest reshuffle of SPs in a decade.