330 Police Officers Reinstated After 19 Years

After a prolonged wait of 19 years, a total of 330 police officers are set to regain their positions, following the government’s decision to revoke the earlier cancellation of their appointments. These appointments, originally annulled in 2007 under “political considerations,” concerned the posts of police sergeants and unarmed sub-inspectors.

The Ministry of Home Affairs, Police Branch-2, issued an official notification on Monday, 16 March, confirming the reinstatement. According to the notification, 123 sergeants and 207 unarmed sub-inspectors, who had been selected for recruitment in 2006, had their appointments cancelled the following year. After a thorough review, the government has now decided to reinstate the officers and allow them to join the service under the prescribed conditions.

A crucial element of the new directive is that seniority will be backdated to the original date they would have joined had the 2007 cancellation not occurred. However, the notification explicitly states that no financial benefits or arrears will be provided for the intervening period.

In addition, the notification specifies that the newly appointed officers will undergo a six-month basic training period, followed by a probationary period of up to two years. The training and probation are designed to ensure that officers meet the current operational standards of the Bangladesh Police.

The Ministry has also instructed that the officers’ gradation lists—determining rankings within their batch—will be prepared in accordance with the results of written and oral examinations, and in line with rules and regulations issued by the Ministry of Public Administration. The Inspector General of Bangladesh Police has been tasked with implementing the necessary measures for this process.

Overview of Reinstated Officers

The reinstatement marks a significant development in Bangladesh Police administration, addressing a longstanding grievance of officers who had been unfairly denied service due to administrative and political decisions nearly two decades ago.