THE police personnel who lost their job during the 15 years of the authoritarian Awami League regime, toppled in a mass uprising on August 5, 2024, have held protests for a couple of days seeking their reinstatement in the job. The sacked police personnel also held a protest in front of the police headquarters in Dhaka on January 12 to press home their demand, alleging that about 2,200 constables and officers lost their job on various allegations, including family issues, absence from duties, Facebook posting against the Awami League government and conflicts with Awami League leaders and activists. The police personnel ended their human chain on the assurance of senior police officials two hours after they had begun the protests. The protesters say that 500 of them have, however, received verdicts of the administrative tribunal in their favour whilst some of them have already been instated and some who have already applied for their reinstatement in the job are waiting their turn. A section of personnel dismissed from the armed forces during the previous Awami League government in early October 2024 demanded that they should be reinstated in their job after a fair investigation, alleging the abuse of power by the government in collusion with some senior officers.
Soldiers dismissed from the Bangladesh Rifles, now renamed as the Border Guard Bangladesh, have also voiced their demand for their reinstatement in job after a credible trial, which has been pending for long. The demands by the officers and personnel thus dismissed and fired during the Awami League government could very well start a train of protests by people in other services who were fired. This appears normal as they have the right to seek redress when there is way. This is undeniably true that the Awami League government, which had growingly become high-handed against and intolerant of dissent, dismissed and fired people, from not only the armed forces and the law enforcement agencies but also other services, during its consecutive tenures beginning in 2009. But, this is also logical that there could be many cases among hundreds where people might have been fired, dismissed or punished on genuine grounds. Many of the cases of corruption, absence from duty and the like could very well be true. What is, therefore, important for the interim government 鈥� which, installed on August 8, 2024, meant to ensure that no discrimination exists in society and governance 鈥� to look into the cases individually and make decisions case by case. A wholesale approach to the reinstatement of such people, fired and dismissed, in their job or the restoration of other entitlements could create the scope for cases with genuine grounds for punishment to slip in.
The interim government would, of course, look into any discrimination done by the Awami League government against people. But, a wholesale reinstatement, without proper examination of the cases, could only bolster the offences for which at least some people may have lost their job.