The government has withdrawn special police protection escorts for 18 cabinet ministers as part of a wider austerity drive aimed at cutting state expenditure, conserving fuel and addressing persistent shortages of police personnel and vehicles, officials said.
The decision has been implemented in phases since last week following a directive from Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, according to officials familiar with the matter.
The prime minister has also reduced the size of his own security convoy as part of the government's cost-cutting measures.
The ministers whose police protection escorts have been withdrawn are Religious Affairs Minister Kazi Shah Mofazzal Hossain Kaikobad, Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Abdul Awal Mintoo, Liberation War Affairs Minister Ahmed Azam Khan, Cultural Affairs Minister Nitai Roy Chowdhury, Land Minister Mizanur Rahman Minu, Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Afroza Khanam, Industries, Textiles, Jute and Commerce Minister Khandaker Abdul Muqtadir, Labour and Employment and Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Ariful Haque, Information and Broadcasting Minister Zahir Uddin Swapan, Agriculture, Fisheries and Livestock Minister Mohammad Amin Ur Rashid, Water Resources Minister Md Shahiduddin Chowdhury Annie, Disaster Management and Relief Minister Asadul Habib Dulu, Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Md Asaduzzaman, Housing and Public Works Minister Zakaria Taher, Education, Primary and Mass Education Minister Dr A N M Ehsanul Haque Milon, Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Sakhawat Hossain, Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology Minister Fakir Mahbub Anam, and Road Transport, Bridges, Railways and Shipping Minister Sheikh Robiul Alam.
Officials said the Home Ministry instructed Police Headquarters to reduce spending on VIP security following the prime minister's directive. They added that long-standing shortages of police manpower and vehicles were also a key factor behind the decision.
The police escort facility has been retained for Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Minister Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, Finance and Planning Minister Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed, Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Iqbal Hasan Mahmud, Women and Children Affairs Minister Dr Abu Jafar Md Zahid Hossain, Foreign Minister Dr Khalilur Rahman, and Prime Minister's Adviser on Finance and Planning Dr Rashed Al Mahmud Titumir, citing the importance of their responsibilities.
Government sources said that since the current administration assumed office, most ministers had been provided with special police escorts while travelling within Dhaka. The cabinet currently comprises 24 full ministers.
Despite the withdrawal of escort vehicles, the affected ministers will continue to receive security under existing regulations, including armed bodyguards, house guards and special police protection during official travel outside Dhaka.