Desk Report:
Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed has said that no one can illegally obstruct police work. No political interference can be allowed in the lawful work of the police. At the same time, transparency and accountability will be ensured in police work so that people are not harassed by them.
The minister said this while briefing journalists after a view-exchange meeting with the heads of departments and organizations under the ministry at the conference room of the Ministry of Home Affairs at the Bangladesh Secretariat on Monday (February 23, 2026).
The minister said that the law enforcement agencies have been instructed to maintain the chain of command in the meeting. He said that before the elections, SPs and OCs were appointed in the country by lottery. In this way, they were given where they were not supposed to go. These appointments should have been made after looking at the service records. Moreover, there are also questions about the transparency of the lottery process. We will work on these by considering their efficiency and suitability. He also said that instructions have been given to the police superintendents not to issue protocols to anyone for political reasons. Our main objective is to manage the law and order forces according to public expectations. The minister said that instructions have been given to appoint 2,701 vacant police constables as soon as possible.
The minister also said that after August 5, 2024, many opportunistic groups have implicated many innocent and ordinary people in several cases to make them suffer. The police department has been instructed to examine these and submit a report. In response to a question from journalists, the minister said that a commission will be formed again to look into the BDR killings and the case will be tried according to the recommendations of that commission. He also said that this is also in our election manifesto. We are committed to establishing any justice.
The home minister said that we will verify again all the firearm licenses that were issued during the previous fascist government. We will check whether they have been done in a proper manner. He said, those who have received the license will be verified whether they are eligible to get it. Those who have received the license for political purposes will be canceled. If there are weapons under these licenses, they will also be canceled.
The minister said, there are many complaints from the people about passport services. Many of us are not used to applying for passports electronically online. That is why some people around the passport office take help from people who earn income by working online. Through them and in collusion with some people in the passport office, people often suffer. To resolve this, if their names are listed like the document writers of the registry office, the service will be simplified and they can be brought under accountability. The service charge for their work will also be determined. He said, we are thinking of introducing it on a trial basis in divisional cities including Dhaka to resolve the harassment and suffering of the people. If it survives in the trial and error method, it will be introduced throughout the country later. A policy will be prepared by the ministry in this regard soon.
In response to a question from journalists whether the SIs who were deprived of appointment in 2006 would be reappointed, Salahuddin Ahmed said that the file of the SIs who were deprived of appointment had been sent to the office of the Chief Advisor in a summary form from the Home Ministry during the interim government. I do not know why the file was not approved at that time. He said that they will be appointed after investigation as per the court’s orders.
Secretary (Routine Responsibilities) of the Home Ministry, Md. Delwar Hossain, heads of various departments and organizations under the Ministry of Home Affairs and heads of the relevant divisions of the Home Ministry were present at the meeting.
