Govt mulls special allowance for police

The home ministry has sought Tk 355.85 crore from the Finance Division of the Ministry of Finance, to be paid as special allowance to the police.

In this regard, the Public Security Division under the home ministry on Thursday sent a proposal to Senior Finance Secretary Abdur Rouf Talukder seeking the said amount, said an official of the Finance Division.

According to the proposal, alongside regular salary and bonus, all members of the police force will receive a special allowance equivalent to their one month’s basic salary every year for two years.

From the third year, all police personnel will get one and a half months’ basic salary as special allowance alongside 15-day recreational leave.

This move came in line with the promise of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who during the "Police Week" in October assured of providing special allowance and recreational leave to police members.

Contacted, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal said if the Finance Division approves the home ministry’s proposal, the ministry will issue a gazette notification in this regard.

Last April, the government brought some cheer to the police during the coronavirus pandemic as it increased the monthly risk allowances of police personnel ranking from constable to superintendent of police (SP).

In addition, other monthly allowances – the unconditional conveyance allowance, telecom allowance, acting allowance, motorcycle allowance, and daily meal allowance – have also been raised for cops holding the ranks of constable to assistant superintendent of police (ASP).

As per that gazette notification, the monthly special allowance of constables and guard constables raised from Tk 45 to Tk 300.

Police members ranking as assistant sub-inspector (ASI) at the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI), and ASI (armed) saw a Tk 255 rise in their monthly special allowance that had previously been Tk 45.

Meanwhile, the risk allowance of ASIs with armed police and metropolitan police had been enhanced from Tk 60 to Tk 300; that of ASIs posted in district special branch (SB), the armed police battalion and police training institutes had been raised from Tk 75 to Tk 500.