Who receives police escort, and how will 18 ministers manage without it?

A police vehicle leading the way with its siren sounding to warn other road users is a familiar sight that signals the arrival of an important public figure. Such police escort convoys have long been a common feature on the streets of Dhaka. However, they have recently become the subject of public discussion.

The reason is a government decision to withdraw police escort facilities for 18 ministers. From now on, police vehicles will no longer accompany them while they travel within the capital. Only six ministers and one adviser with the rank of a minister will continue to receive this facility.

Sources at the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) said the DMP made the decision on the instruction of the home minister, in line with the prime minister’s wishes.

The government cited fuel conservation, a shortage of police vehicles and a policy of reducing the size of official motorcades as the reasons behind the move. Earlier, the Prime Minister had also decided to scale back his own official protocol.

Under the new arrangement, the six ministers and one adviser who will continue to receive police escort facilities in the capital are Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, minister for Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives; Salahuddin Ahmed, minister for Home Affairs; Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, minister for Finance and Planning; AZM Zahid Hossain, minister for Social Welfare and Women and Children Affairs; Khalilur Rahman, minister for Foreign Affairs; Iqbal Hasan Mahmood, minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources; and Rashed Al Mahmud Titumir, adviser for ministries of finance and planning.

According to the Cabinet Division, the current Cabinet comprises the Prime Minister, 24 full ministers, 23 state ministers and five advisers with the rank of a minister. In addition, five advisers hold the rank of state minister.

The government’s decision has prompted widespread curiosity. What exactly is a police escort? What does the facility include? Does withdrawing it mean that the individuals concerned lose all forms of security? Here are the answers.

A police escort, also known as a protection vehicle, is a police security vehicle that travels in front of or alongside the vehicle of an important state official while they are on the move. It forms part of the police’s specialised security and protocol arrangements.

The escort facility aims to ensure the safe movement of senior state officials, help them pass through traffic congestion more quickly and reduce the risk of unforeseen security threats.

In the capital, the Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s Protection Division provides escort services for high-profile officials.

According to the division, each escort vehicle typically carries a five-member police team consisting of one Sub-Inspector (SI) and four constables. The team uses a police vehicle assigned specifically for escort duties.

Depending on the travel schedule and requirements of the minister or other protected individual, the escort team accompanies their vehicle while they travel within the capital.

The government treasury covers the salaries and allowances of the escort personnel, as well as the fuel costs for the police vehicle.

According to the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), police escort facilities are not available to everyone.

The authorities provide them primarily to senior state officials and individuals facing heightened security risks, based on a security assessment. The government, the Ministry of Home Affairs and the police authorities decide who qualifies for the facility.

The president, the prime minister, ministers and advisers holding the rank of a minister receive police escorts. State ministers, however, do not receive escort facilities; they are provided only with residential security. Moreover, not every minister chooses to use the escort facility.

At present, 18 high-profile individuals, including six ministers and one adviser with the rank of a minister, receive police escort facilities. In addition to the ministers, the beneficiaries are Acting President Hafiz Uddin Ahmad; Prime Minister Tarique Rahman; former President Md Shahabuddin; former Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus; Deputy Speaker Barrister Kayser Kamal; Leader of the Opposition Shafiqur Rahman; Deputy Leader of the Opposition Syed Abdullah Mohammed Taher; Chief Whip Nurul Islam Moni; Opposition Chief Whip Nahid Islam; Chief Justice Zubayer Rahman Chowdhury; and Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin.

Under the existing rules, the speaker and the chairman of the Anti-Corruption Commission are also entitled to police escort facilities. However, both positions are currently vacant.

The authorities also grant temporary “VIP” status and police escort facilities to visiting foreign heads of state, prime ministers, ministers and sports personalities during their stay in Bangladesh. Depending on the prevailing security situation, the government may also authorise escort facilities for a government official or another important individual.

Officials from the DMP's Protection Division said the Prime Minister's escort arrangements have been scaled back. Previously, two police protocol vehicles accompanied the Prime Minister's motorcade, but these are no longer in use.

The Special Security Force (SSF) continues to provide the Prime Minister's primary security. The police now deploy only motorcycle pilots to accompany the motorcade, with four police officers in total—two riding motorcycles at the front and two at the rear.

The principal legislation governing the security of the president and the prime minister is the Special Security Force (SSF) Act, 2021.

Section 8(1) of the Act states that the SSF has the primary responsibility for ensuring the personal security of the president and the prime minister wherever they may be.

In other words, their protection is not limited to Dhaka or to official visits. The SSF must provide continuous security at all times.

To fulfil this responsibility, it works with intelligence agencies as well as government and private organisations, all of which are legally required to provide the necessary assistance.

Within the Dhaka area, whenever the prime minister, a minister or another senior state official is entitled to a police escort, the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Protection Division deploys an escort vehicle and personnel in accordance with the individual's travel schedule.

The Ministry of Home Affairs, Police Headquarters or the DMP's senior leadership authorises, reduces or withdraws these escort arrangements as required.

In addition to escort services, these high-profile individuals receive security at their residences and, where necessary, personal protection.

Outside Dhaka, when the president or the prime minister travels elsewhere in the country, the Special Security Force (SSF) leads the security operation.

The local police, district administration, intelligence agencies and other government institutions implement the security plan under the SSF's supervision.

For ministers, state ministers and deputy ministers, the authorities send approved official travel itineraries to the relevant district administration and police.

The local police then provide escorts and secure the venue after assessing the importance of the visit, the location of the event, the travel route and any potential security threats.

Under the government's recent decision, police escorts have been withdrawn for 18 ministers. They include Religious Affairs Minister Kazi Shah Mofazzal Houssain Kaikobad; Environment 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 Rita; Commerce and Industries Minister Khandaker Abdul Muqtadir; Labour and Expatriates' Welfare Minister Ariful Haque Choudhury; Information and Broadcasting Minister Zahir Uddin Swapon; and Agriculture and Fisheries Minister Mohammad Amin Ur Rashid.

The decision also withdraws escort facilities for Water Resources Minister Shahid Uddin Chowdhury Anee; Disaster Management Minister Asadul Habib Dulu; Law Minister Md Asaduzzaman; Housing and Public Works Minister Zakaria Taher; Education Minister ANM Ehsanul Hoque Milon; Health Minister Sardar Md Sakhawat Husain; Information Technology Minister Faqir Mahbub Anam; and Road Transport and Bridges Minister Shaikh Rabiul Alam.

The DMP said that, although the escort facility has been withdrawn, each of these ministers will continue to receive a designated armed security officer (gunman) and residential security personnel in accordance with existing regulations.

In addition, whenever they travel outside Dhaka on official business, the police will continue to provide security and protection as required.

According to the DMP Protection Division, the force does not have enough personnel to provide security for all VIPs and Key Point Installations (KPIs) across Dhaka.

Staff shortages have compelled officers to work extended hours, increasing both their physical and mental workload. The division also faces a shortage of vehicles. As a result, an escort vehicle sometimes has to drop off one minister and immediately rush to collect another.

Following the reduction in escort facilities, the DMP has reassigned approximately 90 police officers who had previously been deployed for ministerial security.

Whereas around 120 officers were previously engaged in escort duties, only 30 to 35 now remain. At the same time, the number of escort vehicles has fallen from 25 to just seven.

The police have redeployed the released personnel and vehicles to other operational duties.

Speaking to Prothom Alo, Md Shahriar Alam, deputy commissioner of the DMP Protection Division, said, “Providing security to important state officials forms part of the police's routine responsibilities. However, several challenges have made it difficult for the police to carry out this duty effectively. Once these constraints are resolved, we will be able to provide security services more smoothly.”