IGP to be elevated to 3-star general

Home Minister Sahara Khatun yesterday endorsed the plea for elevating the Inspector General of Police to the rank of three-star general, equivalent to Lieutenant General of the army.
"It's a logical demand. I think it should be upgraded… the government is scrutinising the proposal," she said.
The rank badge of the IGP was of 3-star general, but it was downgraded during the regime of president HM Ershad. The Police Headquarters recently sent a proposal for upgrading the rank badge of the IGP to 3-star general in the present context.
The home minister expressed her view while talking to reporters after an evaluation meeting on the Annual Development Programme projects under the Ministry.
She also disclosed that the country's 599 police stations will get at least two pickup vans and two motorcycles each by June this year.
"We have taken a special project of Tk 487 crore to buy police vehicles, including protection car, pickup van, motorcycle, engine boat and speedboat," the home minister said.
The project is now under consideration of the planning ministry.
Sahara Khatun said her ministry has taken 30 projects for its nine departments for this fiscal year. The meeting reviewed the progresses of the projects.
Fifty percent of the projects have already been implemented, the minister said.
Replying to a question, she said that the proposed Machine Readable Passport (MRP) and Machine Readable Visa (MRV) will be introduced within April.
Home Secretary Abdus Sobhan Sikder said tender for the MRP and MRV project is now under consideration of the government's purchase committee.
Work order will be given for introducing the MRP and MRV after getting approval of the purchase committee.
State Minister for Home Advocate Shamsul Haq Tuku and senior officers attended the meeting.