Representational Image: Collected
Bangla Press Desk: The government has decided to withdraw police escort for 18 ministers who had been travelling under police protection in the capital since taking office.
From now on, only six ministers and one adviser with ministerial rank will continue to receive the facility.
They are – Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Minister Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed, Finance and Planning Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury, Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman, Social Welfare and Women and Children Affairs Minister AZM Zahid Hossain, Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Iqbal Hassan Mahmood, and PM’s Planning Adviser Rashed Al Mahmud Titumir.
The information was confirmed by multiple sources at the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP).
According to the sources, the decision was made by the DMP on the instruction of the home minister following the prime minister's directive.
However, all ministers will continue to receive police protection and security arrangements, as required, during official visits outside Dhaka.
According to the DMP Protection Division, the escort or protection vehicle that travels ahead of a minister's car is staffed by a five-member police team. The team accompanies the minister according to his or her official schedule and travel requirements within the capital.
Police sources said the withdrawal of escort facilities for 18 ministers has resulted in nearly 90 police personnel being reassigned.
Previously, around 120 police members were deployed for ministerial escorts; that number has now been reduced to between 30 and 35. The number of escort vehicles has also been cut from 25 to seven, allowing the freed-up personnel and vehicles to be used for other duties.
Officials familiar with the matter said the decision was not driven by a single factor. Rather, it resulted from a combination of considerations, including fuel conservation, a shortage of police vehicles, and the government's policy of reducing the size of official motorcades. The prime minister's own decision to scale back his official convoy also influenced the move.
DMP Protection Division Deputy Commissioner Md Shahriar Alam said that reducing the number of ministerial escort vehicles would lower fuel costs and ease pressure on police vehicles and personnel.
He added that the released resources could now be deployed for regular policing duties across the capital.
