Cops spreading wings: 2 Russian choppers arrive in Jul-Aug
Tk48 crore is being allocated to expand 999 service
The aviation wing of the Bangladesh Police is set to receive two Russian MI-171A2 helicopters, with one scheduled for delivery in July and the other in August, and the government is allocating funds in the upcoming budget for their payments.
The supplies will come from Moscow-headquartered JSC Russian Helicopters, according to the minutes of a meeting of the budget management committee for the Public Security Division under the home ministry.
To this end, an agreement was signed in November 2021 in Dhaka and Police Headquarters stated in a press release that two MI-171A2 helicopters would be purchased from JSC Russian Helicopters. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs had approved the purchases the previous month.
However, due to various reasons, including the coronavirus pandemic, the Russia-Ukraine war, and complications in transactions with Moscow after the conflict broke out, the Russian manufacturer could not supply the helicopters at that time.
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For the helicopter purchases, the government earmarked Tk191 crore in the fiscal 2023-24 budget, which was also reflected in the revised budget.
But, due to the non-delivery of the helicopters, this allocation is being rolled over to the next fiscal year's budget. Besides, there will be an additional allocation to settle the helicopter bill.
In the budget management committee meeting of the Public Security Division held on 27 April, Additional Deputy Inspector General (Transport) Sarwar Morshed Shamim said the Russian supplier would deliver one helicopter next July and another in August. He, therefore, requested the transfer of the allocation to the next budget.
The wing was formed in 2021 with the aim of playing vital roles in communication, various operations, and rescue missions in remote areas. With the addition of these helicopters, the wing is receiving aircraft for the first time, opening up new horizons in the country's law enforcement.
Capacity of Emergency Service to be enhanced
Allocations are being made in the next fiscal year's budget to improve the institutional capacity of the police, said an official engaged with the Public Security Division's budget plan.
The capacity of the National Emergency Service 999 will be increased. The use of this service by the common people of the country is increasing regularly and that is why an allocation of Tk48 crore is being kept in the next budget, the official told this newspaper.
The additional allocation is for the purchase of arms, ammunition, security materials, motor vehicles, intelligence security materials, information and communication technology equipment, wireless devices, and computer software in the next budget.
Towards smart law enforcement
Besides, there is a separate allocation for smart border surveillance by the Border Guard Bangladesh. An allocation will be there to increase the technical capacity of the Bangladesh Coast Guard to strengthen coastal security. Overall, there will be an initiative to form a smart law enforcement force in the next budget.
According to the budget management committee meeting minutes, a total budget of Tk26,837 crore – Tk25,129 crore for operation and Tk1,708 crore for development – is being proposed for the Public Security Division in the next financial year.
Tk17,355 crore of the operating budget will be spent on the Bangladesh Police, compared to Tk16,637 crore allocated in the current fiscal year. The proposed operating budget for Border Guard Bangladesh in the fiscal 2024-25 is Tk4,277 crore.
Apart from this, an operating budget of Tk2,192 crore has been fixed for the Ansar and VDP Directorates.
Arrears of Ansar, VDP
According to the Public Security Division, the allowances that the representatives of Bangladesh Ansar and VDP are supposed to receive for performing duties with the police in various police stations, outposts, temples, and KPI-affiliated institutions of the government have been in arrears since 2018. As a result, there are various problems with the performance of Ansar members.
Bangladesh Police has proposed to allocate funds in the budget for the payment of these arrears. However, the total outstanding amount was not mentioned in the budget allocation. Money will be allocated for these arrears in the operating budget of the Bangladesh Police.
Security Services Division budget
Meanwhile, in the budget for the fiscal 2024-25, an allocation of Tk4,163 crore has been proposed for the Security Services Division – Tk2,651 crore for operating and Tk1,542 crore for development.
This division will expand the Fire Service and Civil Defence Directorate's ambulance services under the development budget. The expansion and modernisation of drug addiction rehabilitation centres, the introduction of e-passports and an automated border control system, and various prison construction projects will be implemented.
