82 police officials made OSD

Eighty-two senior police officials, who served as superintendent of police (SP) and chief of various units of Bangladesh Police during the Awami League regime, have been made Officers on Special Duty (OSD).

The said police officials include additional inspector general of Police, deputy inspector general (DIG), additional DIGs, SPs, and additional deputy commissioners of police.

These officers were made OSD in three separate orders issued by the Police-1 branch of the Public Security Division of the Ministry of Home Affairs on Tuesday (February 25).

While the ministry orders do not state any particular reason for the actions against the police officials, sources at the ministry said they were made OSD for their roles in the last three elections during the Awami League regime.

The orders were signed by Md Mahbubur Rahman, deputy secretary of the Public Security Division, Ministry of Home Affairs, on behalf of the president.

The latest orders come two days after the government sent four Deputy Inspector Generals of Police (DIGs) on forced retirement on 23 February.

Just a day before, Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Adviser Asif Mahmud Sajib Bhuiyan had said that SPs, who were involved in irregularities during the 2018 national election, would either be made OSD or sent to forced retirement.

Prior to this, on 20 February, the public ministry sent three secretaries and 18 additional secretaries on forced retirement for their roles in the last three national polls under the ousted Awami League regime.

Speaking on that day, Public Administration Senior Secretary Md Mokhlesur Rahman said the government has decided to retire former deputy commissioners (DCs), who have completed 25 years of service as govt employees and served as returning officers in 2014, 2018 and 2024 elections.

Besides, former DCs, who are yet to complete 25 years of government service, will be made Officers on Special Duty (OSD) for their role as returning officers in the said elections.

Mokhlesur said the former DCs did not object to those elections. They implemented the government's orders.

Officials of the Ministry of Public Administration had said at the time that action would be taken against the police officers who participated in those elections as well as the public administration officials, he added.

A day earlier, on 19 February, 33 joint secretaries, who were deputy commissioners during the 2018 Jatiya Sangsad polls and served as returning officers, were made OSDs.