Two add’l DIGs now sent into retirement

The government yesterday sent two additional deputy inspector generals (DIG) of police into forced retirement citing that the decision was taken in "public interest".

The two -- Md Mahbub Hakim, additional DIG of Tourist Police, and Md Alamgir Alam, additional DIG of the Criminal Investigation Department -- are officers of the 12th Bangladesh Civil Service (police) cadre.

The development came two weeks after three superintendents of police were sent into forced retirement.

The government made the move to purge the police administration of officials "not aligned to the ruling Awami League's ideology", keeping in mind the next general election, said sources in the government.

The government has already made a list of such bureaucrats and police officials, and many of them might be forced into retirement in phases, the sources added.

Contacted, Mahbub yesterday said, "The government has the power [to send officials into retirement] and it exercised the power. I have nothing to say on this."

Several of Mahbub and Alamgir's batchmates are additional inspector generals of police, the second top position in the police department. The incumbent director general of Rapid Action Battalion, the commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police and the additional IGP (admin and ops) are officers from 12th BCS (police) batch.

Mahbub was expected to retire on May 30, 2024, while Alamgir on January 6, 2025.

The home ministry yesterday issued two circulars, signed by Md Aminul Islam Khan, senior secretary at the Public Security Division, in this regard. The circulars cited section 45 of Bangladesh Service Rules, 2018.

According to the section, the government upon the president's approval can send an employee, who has completed 25 years in service, into retirement in public interest, without showing any specific reason.

On October 18, three SPs -- Delwar Hossain Mia and Mirza Abdullahel Baqui of CID and Shahidullah Chowdhury of the Police Headquarters -- were sent into retirement, just two days after the information and broadcasting ministry secretary Md Mokbul Hossain was sent into retirement.

Shahidullah and Delwar were from 12th BCS batch while Baqui was from 15th BCS batch.