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The interim government has revoked 78 Bangladesh Police Medals and President Police Medals awarded to 40 officers, including high-profile figures Harunor Rashid, Biplob Kumar Sarkar and Syed Nurul Islam.
A home ministry notification, dated Aug 7 and made public on Sunday, said the officers were “absconding”.
Many have already been suspended from duty, while others were reassigned but failed to report to their new posts, according to bdnews24.com.
Among those affected, former Dhaka Range deputy inspector general Nurul lost three additional medals in the latest order, on top of one revoked in 2018.
Harunor, the former chief of Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s Detective Branch, was stripped of four medals this time, having already lost his 2018 award earlier.
Ex-DIG of Chattogram Range Nure Alam Mina saw two more medals withdrawn, and former joint commissioner Biplob lost three. Another former joint commissioner, Proloy Kumar Joarder, lost three as well.
The BPM and PPM are conferred annually for bravery or distinguished service, usually awarded by the head of government during Police Week. Recipients can use the titles after their names and receive a monthly financial incentive.
Critics have long alleged that the same cluster of officers repeatedly received these honours over the past 15 years, with mass awards after the contested 2018 general election. That year, 349 officers were decorated.
The latest roll of stripped honours also includes: additional DIGs Shymal Mukherjee (1), Farid Uddin (2), and Ayesha Siddika (2). Former joint commissioners SM Mehedi Hasan (4), Sanjit Kumar Roy (1), Zayedul Alam (2), Rifat Rahman Shamim (1), and Sudip Kumar Chakraborty (2) were also affected.
Several superintendents lost medals, including Kazi Ashraful Azim (1), Asaduzzaman (3), Md. Shahjahan (1), Sanowar Hossain (4), Manas Kumar Poddar (2), Golam Mostafa Russell (3), Arifur Rahman Mondal (4), and Iqbal Hossain (1).
Further withdrawals hit additional SPs, assistant SPs, and nine police inspectors, including Mezbha Uddin Ahmed (3) and Moshiur Rahman (2). Some officers had already had their 2018 medals rescinded in earlier actions.
The order marks one of the largest mass revocations of police honours in the country’s history.