Seventeen Senior Police Officers Sent on Compulsory Retirement in Bangladesh

In a significant administrative clean-up within the law enforcement framework, the government of Bangladesh has sent seventeen senior police officers into compulsory retirement. The list of high-ranking personnel includes three Deputy Inspectors General (DIG), twelve Additional Deputy Inspectors General (Additional DIG), and two officers holding the rank of Superintendent of Police (SP). Notably, three female officers are amongst the twelve Additional DIGs who have been relieved of their administrative posts.

The Public Security Division of the Ministry of Home Affairs issued official gazette notifications regarding this decision. Signed by the Senior Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs by order of the President, the development was widely reported across international and national media outlets, including GLive24

According to the issued notices, the state exercised its legal authority under Section 45 of the Public Service Act 2018 to execute these retirements in the “public interest”. The relevant statutory provision dictates that once a public servant completes twenty-five years of service, the government reserves the right to retire them at any time without providing explicit cause, provided it serves the public interest. The gazette explicitly mentions that despite their forced retirement, all seventeen officers will remain eligible to receive their standard pension and post-retirement benefits in accordance with established civil service rules.

A summary of the officers affected by the government order includes the following key figures:

• Deputy Inspectors General (DIGs): Highway Police DIG Mohammad Abdullahil Baki, Police Academy Sardah DIG Md Walid Hossain, and CID DIG Sana Shaminur Rahman.

• Additional Deputy Inspectors General (Additional DIGs): CID Additional DIG Mohammad Sarwar Hossain, Tourist Police Additional DIG Bidhan Tripura, Police Staff College Additional DIG Dr AKM Iqbal Hossain, APBn Additional DIG Soheli Ferdous, CID Additional DIG Rebeka Sultana, Police Academy Sardah Additional DIG Mohammad Tabarak Ullah, Police Telecom Additional DIG Hasina Rahman, Police Headquarters Additional DIGs Faisal Mahmud and Kaniz Fatema, Tourist Police Additional DIG Sultana Nazma Hossain, River Police Additional DIG Jesmin Begum, and DMP Joint Police Commissioner (Additional DIG) Farida Yasmin.

• Superintendents of Police (SPs) & Equivalents: Traffic Driving School SP Abdur Rahim Shah Chowdhury and Rangpur Metropolitan Police Deputy Commissioner Md Habibur Rahman.

Insiders within the administration indicate that these measures are part of an ongoing initiative aimed at restructuring the internal command chain, restoring public trust, and improving operational accountability within the police force. The sudden departure of such a large contingent of senior commanders has drawn widespread attention across the nation’s political and legal spheres. Official copies of the gazette notifications have been transmitted to the Police Headquarters, the Chief Accounts Office, and relevant operational departments for immediate execution.