“We are your children, your brothers”

Police strike and mourning rally held at Satkhira Police Line on 11 demands. Police held a protest march and rally on Friday (August 9) afternoon, demanding the implementation of the 11 demands raised by the Satkhira Police Line Coordination Committee.

The police officers who participated in the protest and the strike pointed out various misconducts of the police and demanded that they be punished. At this time, they said, “We are not enemies or opponents of anyone. We perform our duties as instructed by our superiors. We are subjected to various forms of abuse while working on the scene.”

We want to be the people’s police, they said. We don’t want to be pawns of any political leader or anybody. To those who are attacking various police facilities or police officers, we ask you not to attack us like this again. We are your children, your brothers. We cannot go out on the streets. Our colleagues are being killed in various ways. Their bodies are being hanged and burned. We spent the day in panic. The strike will continue until our demands are met.

The police’s request is:

1. (a) Set up an independent commission to reform the police force which is not influenced by political parties and should be engaged in public welfare. We must change the colour of the uniform which is stigmatised by wearing it and have the same dress code from police officers to IGs.

(b) We must ensure the safety of all police officers and their families while senior police officers who have killed hundreds of police officers and common students due to greedy police brokers must be arrested and prosecuted as soon as possible under the existing laws of Bangladesh. Their illegal properties should be confiscated and used for the welfare of police officers.

2. (a) Adequate compensation should be provided to the families of police officers injured and killed in the ongoing violence. No departmental action or harassment should be taken against members who use firearms to protect property while performing their duties and whose firearms are stolen.

(b) Under the Labour Law, all police officers are guaranteed an eight-hour workday, as are police officers employed by other agencies. State regulations stipulate that duty hours exceeding eight hours shall be counted as overtime.

3. 60% from Inspectors and 40% from ASP posts, direct recruitment. All posts should be promoted supernumerary, eliminating the complexity of promotion. Provisions should be made for minimum promotion to Inspector General of Police. TA/DA is given to junior police officers. Source of funds must be provided. 70% of risk allowance as basic and fresh funds paid in Police Bank.

4. We must ensure medical care for all police officers and their families. In addition, if private treatment is sought, he must also pay full compensation from the welfare fund as per the voucher.

5. For departmental promotions, after passing the assessment, promotions should be arranged in stages, and if necessary, additional non-staff positions should be created to increase the promotion of subordinates.

6. The junior police officers should be treated cordially as per the rules of the Public Relations Committee and no member should be used for personal work. Trading of positions among police officers at all levels from constable to constable should be stopped.

7.Sergeants and Sub-Inspectors will be posted in all units through the same recruitment under PSC. Currently, the Sergeants in service should be given investigative powers and ATSI should coordinate when SI is disarmed. In the interest of public and to ensure smooth traffic management, the traffic department should not stop trading and provide freight targets.

8. The accounts of community banks should be clear and all welfare funds should be provided to everyone every year. If it is a loan, the interest rate should be controlled below 6%. If necessary, it should be coordinated with the Bangladesh Police Welfare Trust Fund.

9. (a) Promotion from Grade 9 to Confirmation Grade 6 and arrangements for advancement in the same position within a maximum period of six years.

(b) Inspectors and higher authorities can get all benefits including pension if they lose their jobs. Similarly, police should provide this facility to SIs. Members who are dismissed from their posts in various parts of Bangladesh should be considered on humanitarian grounds.

10. (a) In addition to two months’ paid leave, every police officer should be entitled to 20 days’ casual leave every year.

(b) Each police officer shall arrange posts in his respective areas and ensure 100% placement of subordinate police officers.

11. (a) All police personnel should be given an opportunity to serve in all units. There will be no autonomous and technical units and everyone should be given an opportunity to transfer to all units. The orderly rule of bodyguards under the leadership of the Commissioner of Police should be stopped.

(b) The police officers should merge the units and form a new police association with a majority.

Our demands must be gazetted within seven working days. Otherwise, the police strike will continue across Bangladesh.

Ibrahim Khalil/AMK