Home Affairs Minister Salahuddin Ahmed announced on Monday that police have been directed to review and scrutinize all cases filed after the fall of Awami League government following the student-public uprising on August 5, ensuring innocent people are not subjected to harassment.
The minister made the announcement while addressing reporters at the Home Ministry conference room in the Secretariat after chairing a meeting with heads of all departments and law enforcement agencies under the ministry. The meeting began at 11:30am and concluded at 2:30pm.
Salahuddin Ahmed said some opportunistic individuals had filed cases against people from various professions including businesspersons and journalists after August 5.
He stated that these cases will be reviewed to uphold the rule of law and ensure that innocent citizens do not suffer. Police have been instructed to examine these cases and submit a report to the government.
The minister also announced that the BDR mutiny incident will be reinvestigated.
Presenting further decisions from the meeting, the Home Minister said all firearms licenses issued during the three terms of the Awami League government from 2009 to 2024 will be reviewed. The review will examine whether proper procedures were followed, who received the licenses and whether they were eligible. Licenses held by eligible individuals will remain valid, while those issued for political or criminal purposes will be cancelled. Officials have been directed to take necessary action.
Salahuddin Ahmed warned that the government will take immediate action against anyone interfering with police work. He noted that political interference in police operations must stop.
At the same time, he stressed that police must also maintain transparency and refrain from any actions that harass citizens. Action will be taken against police officers found guilty of such conduct.
The minister said district-level Superintendents of Police will no longer provide protocol to anyone outside the prescribed rules. He noted that SPs have often extended protocol for political reasons, and this practice will end immediately.
The lottery system for posting Officer-in-Charges and Superintendents of Police will be discontinued, Salahuddin Ahmed announced.
He explained that the lottery method often prevented the right officers from being placed in appropriate positions and lacked transparency during the previous government's tenure. Going forward, officers will be posted based on their competence and suitability, maintaining the chain of command.
The minister said constable recruitments made during the three terms of the Awami League government through fraudulent permanent addresses will also be scrutinized. He noted that reports suggest many individuals secured police jobs by falsifying names and addresses.
Police have been instructed to verify whether such irregularities occurred. However, he assured that officers with legitimate appointments need not worry, adding that the measure aims to prevent such practices in the future.
Salahuddin Ahmed further revealed that 2,701 constable positions are currently vacant across all levels of the police force, and recruitment will be expedited to fill these posts. He also confirmed that 630 police members who lost their jobs in 2006 will be reinstated.
On the issue of passport services, the minister acknowledged longstanding public complaints about difficulties in obtaining passports. He said the government has devised a solution modeled on the deed writer system, where registered assistants will be available at passport offices to help applicants complete the process for a service charge. This system will initially be launched in Dhaka and divisional cities, creating employment opportunities while reducing public suffering.
Asked about mob violence, the minister said the government will take immediate action wherever such incidents occur. He made clear that blocking highways to press demands will not be tolerated and urged those with legitimate grievances to pursue them through lawful channels.
When his attention was drawn to an interview of President Md. Sahabuddin published in a daily newspaper, the Home Minister said everyone has the right to speak and constitutional rights of all individuals will be ensured.
The meeting was attended by Inspector General of Police Baharul Alam, DMP Commissioner Sheikh Sajjad Ali, Special Branch Additional IGP Md Golam Rosul, RAB Director General A K M Shahidur Rahman, Border Guard Bangladesh Director General Major General Mohammad Ashrafuzzaman Siddiqui, Home Ministry Acting Secretary Delowar Hossain, CID Additional IGP Chibgat Ullah, Bangladesh Ansar and Village Defence Party Director General Major General Abdul Motaleb Sazzad Mahmud, Immigration and Passports Director General Major General Md Nurul Anwar, NTMC Director General Major General Mohammad Osman Sarwar, Fire Service and Civil Defence Director General Brigadier General Muhammad Zahed Kamal, Inspector General of Prisons Brigadier General Syed Md Motaher Hossain, Bangladesh Coast Guard Director General Rear Admiral Md Ziaul Haque, Department of Narcotics Control Director General Md Hasan Maruf and International Crimes Tribunal Investigation Agency Coordinator Ansar Uddin Khan Pathan.
