Special police unit likely to get approval today

The government is going to form a special police unit--Mass Rapid Transit or MRT police--aimed at ensuring the overall security of metro rail.

Sources concerned said a proposal to form MRT police is likely to be approved in a secretary-level meeting on Tuesday next. The cabinet secretary will preside over the meeting.

A home ministry official, on condition of anonymity, said that the summary will be sent to the prime minister after the proposal was approved in the meeting. “Posting or transfer of policemen against the posts will be done only after the prime minister approves the summary,” he added.

According to the home ministry and police headquarters, an organogram with 357 posts has been set for the operation of this special police unit. Of the total, there will be three cadre posts and 354 non-cadre posts. After getting the approval, metro rail police will start their work. There will also be separate uniform for the members of this special unit.

Sources in the police headquarters said the authority concerned first wanted to form a unit under the railway police to ensure the security of metro rail. At a review meeting on the project progress on September 16 in 2019, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina stressed the need for forming a special police unit for metro rail. After that the process of forming a separate police unit started. The prime minister inaugurated metro rail service on December 28 last year.

Faruque Ahmed, Additional Deputy Inspector General (O&M) at the police headquarters, said that the formation of the unit is at the final stage. A proposal in this regard is likely to be approved in the meeting that may take place at the secretariat on Tuesday with the cabinet secretary in the chair, he added.

It is learnt that special police units are engaged in ensuring the overall security of metro rails in different countries across the world. Like other countries, a special police unit is also being formed in Bangladesh to ensure the security of metro rail.

Five metro rail lines are being built in and around Dhaka. A total of 104 metro stations, including 53 underground stations, will be built on the 128-km line by the Dhaka Mass Transit Company Ltd (DMTCL), the implementing agency of the metro rail project.

Every metro rail station will have ATM booths, electrical equipment and shops. As thousands of passengers will travel on metro trains every day, the special police unit is being formed to ensure the security of metro rail and passengers.

However, the section of metro rail from Diabari in Uttara to Agargaon has already been opened to public. So, DMTCL wants to ensure the security of passengers and special police unit is being formed.