Police seek separate pay scale, risk allowance
Police members have placed a set of demands before the government, including a separate pay scale, risk allowance, 50 percent overtime bill for extra duty and honorary promotions before retirement.
The demands were raised on Sunday afternoon at the Police Welfare Parade held at Rajarbagh Police Auditorium after the Police Week programme, where Prime Minister Tarique Rahman was present.
The Prime Minister listened to the demands raised by police personnel and assured them of implementation, according to officials present at the event.
An official of Police Headquarters said a separate pay scale has long been a demand of Bangladesh Police.
“Separate pay scales already exist for the judiciary and the army. Bangladesh Police provides the highest level of service to the country and its people. That is why the demand for a separate pay scale, similar to those institutions, was placed before the Prime Minister at the Welfare Parade,” the official said.
Home Minister, Home Secretary, Inspector General of Police, Additional IGPs and other senior police officials were also present at the parade. During the discussion, Kamrul Hasan Talukdar, officer-in-charge of Airport Police Station and president of Bangladesh Police Association, demanded interest-free loans for Sub-Inspectors to buy motorcycles, along with fuel cost support.
He said most investigation work at police stations is carried out by Sub-Inspectors, but they face transport shortages due to inadequate vehicles.
He told the Prime Minister that investigation costs have increased and should be raised. Providing interest-free advance loans for motorcycles and fuel expenses would help speed up investigation work, he added.
An officer of Additional Police rank also raised the demand for allowances for overtime duty, including risk allowance. Police officials who attended the parade said a female constable of Khulna Metropolitan Police raised the issue of honorary promotion before retirement.
She said many police members, including constables and inspectors, retire from the same post they joined or served in for years. She demanded that constables be given at least one rank promotion before retirement, similar to the practice in the army.
She also said such honorary promotions would not require any financial subsidy from the government. The demand was for honorary promotion in phases from constable up to inspector level.
A Deputy Inspector General who attended the Welfare Parade said allocation under development projects for construction of new buildings for police stations, barracks, police outposts and other operational units has remained suspended for a long time.
He said police members requested the government to restart the development allocations afresh.
