252 cadet SIs discharged from Bangladesh Police Academy over breach of discipline
"The decision has been taken solely over breach of discipline. There is no political issue here," says the academy's principal
As many as 252 cadet sub-inspectors (SI), who received final recommendation for appointment, have been discharged from the Bangladesh Police Academy in Sarda, Rajshahi on charges of indiscipline during basic training.
The academy's Principal Additional Inspector General of Police Md Masudur Rahman Bhuiyan confirmed the matter to The Business Standard today (22 October).
He said the discharge letters were being issued and sent to each of the 252 trainee SIs, dismissed on disciplinary grounds, from the 40th outsider cadet batch.
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"The decision has been taken solely over breach of discipline. There is no political issue here," Masudur said but did not go into details.
According to academy officials, the cadets were dismissed on Monday (21 October) and the principal was sending official discharge letters to the home addresses of the trainees.
The training of this batch of 804 trainee SIs started on 11 November, 2023, and is scheduled to end on 4 November this year, they said.
Although the allegation of breaching discipline has been made, neither the academy officials nor the Police Headquarters were willing to comment when asked for details about the specific accusations.
However, sources said that the dismissed trainee SIs faced several charges, including not attending classes on time, not following commands from superiors, engaging in fights among themselves, skipping training sessions, and getting involved in "unethical" relationships.
Last Sunday (20 October), the passing out parade of the trainee assistant superintendents of police from the 40th BCS Police Cadre was scheduled to be held at the police academy in Sarda, but it was postponed due to "unavoidable reasons". Several media reports had said that the postponement order came after the "unruly behaviours" of many trainees during a previous practice parade.
Since then, discussions over the postponement have been making the rounds in different quarters and the news of the discharge of the 250 cadet SIs came today.
Some sources even claimed that all the discharged trainees were involved with the Awami League and its various wings.
The development has come amid rising calls for police reform following the fall of ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina's government on 5 August in the wake of a student-led mass uprising.
Many citizens and civil society groups have pushed for a more people-centric and accountable police force, as the basic functioning of the Bangladesh Police has remained largely unchanged for decades.
With over 200,000 personnel, Bangladesh Police – the principal law enforcement agency operating under the Ministry of Home Affairs – plays a crucial role in maintaining law and order across the country.
Calls for improvements in law enforcement are becoming a key priority, with growing demands to make police reforms a permanent fixture in the national agenda, regardless of political transitions.
To qualify for the SI position in the police force, candidates must pass physical, written, and oral exams, as well as demonstrate computer proficiency. After completing these stages, candidates undergo a medical examination. Once selected, they participate in a year-long basic training programme at the Sarda police academy as outsider cadets.
Typically, the passing out parade for the outsider cadet batch takes place in October-November every year. Afterwards, the sub-inspectors with basic training are deployed to various police units for fieldwork. Once they complete one year of field service, their jobs are made permanent.
