Govt to address police welfare demands within financial limits: Home Minister

Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed has pledged that the government will meet the reasonable demands of Bangladesh Police in line with the country’s financial capacity, as part of efforts to build a modern and citizen focused force.

He made the remarks on Sunday at the Prime Minister’s Special Welfare Meeting held at Rajarbagh Police Auditorium in Dhaka to mark Police Week 2026. 

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman attended the event as chief guest.

“The logical demands of Bangladesh Police will be fulfilled,” Salahuddin said, noting that reforms would be implemented with consideration for available resources.

Among the measures under review is a proposal to introduce honorary promotions for officers at the time of retirement. The minister said many constables complete 40 years of service without receiving a promotion. To address this, the government plans to allow honorary rank upgrades based on satisfactory service records. 

Under the proposal, constables could be elevated to honorary Assistant Sub Inspector, ASIs to honorary Sub Inspector and SIs to honorary Inspector upon retirement.

Salahuddin also said a special framework is being considered to provide overtime allowances for personnel from constable to inspector level who works beyond standard hours. He expressed hope that the move would strengthen morale and enhance service delivery.

Acknowledging the physical and mental strain caused by extended duty hours, the minister announced plans to modernise central and divisional police hospitals. Further assessments are underway to establish additional advanced medical facilities for officers and their families.

He added that the government is committed to addressing accommodation shortages by acquiring land and allocating funds to improve housing and infrastructure for various police units.

On law enforcement, Salahuddin said the situation had improved over the past two months, with ongoing operations targeting listed terrorists, extortionists and drug traffickers. 

He stressed the importance of equipping police with modern training and technological skills to combat emerging threats such as cybercrime, online gambling and money laundering.

A committee has been formed to recommend updates to existing legislation to better address these crimes. The minister said laws would also be revised to curb mob violence and ensure more effective policing in line with public expectations.

Senior Secretary of the Home Ministry Manzur Morshed Chowdhury and Inspector General of Police Md Ali Hossain Fakir also spoke at the event.