Bangladesh’s Inspector General of Police (IGP) Baharul Alam has applied to surrender his diplomatic (red) passport and obtain a regular passport, triggering intense discussion within the administration just ahead of the national election.
According to sources, the police chief recently wrote to the Ministry of Home Affairs expressing his intention to return his diplomatic passport and requesting a no-objection certificate (NOC) for the issuance of an ordinary passport. The move has raised eyebrows as his contractual tenure still has around eight months remaining.
In his letter dated February 3 and addressed to the senior secretary of the Home Ministry, Baharul Alam stated that he wished to surrender his diplomatic passport and requested necessary steps to facilitate the issuance of a general passport in its place.
The timing of the request has caused unease within the Secretariat and Police Headquarters, with officials questioning why the IGP would seek such a change so close to the election and well before the end of his tenure.
Recently, the Home Ministry issued a clarification easing previous restrictions that required police verification and intelligence clearance for government officials seeking to exchange diplomatic passports for ordinary ones. While the restrictions remain in force for holders of diplomatic passports issued during the previous government’s tenure, they have been relaxed for officials of the current administration.
Baharul Alam, a former additional IGP, was brought back from retirement to lead the police force following the violent July mass uprising, at a time when the force was widely described as demoralised and organisationally fragile. The interim government appointed him as IGP on a contractual basis on November 21, 2024, with his term set to expire on November 20 this year.
If the next elected government does not cancel his extended contract, he is expected to remain in office for another eight months. However, news of his diplomatic passport surrender well ahead of time has fuelled speculation about his future plans.
Several senior police officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Jugantor that there are concerns Baharul Alam may leave the country immediately after the election. They noted that ahead of the polls, a major political party had demanded his removal, though the government ultimately decided to keep him in place until the election with backing from top leadership.
In this context, officials believe the passport move may be linked to anticipated post-election developments.
When contacted for comment via WhatsApp on Thursday, the IGP initially responded by asking what questions had been raised. After being informed that speculation was circulating about a possible post-election departure and that he was securing a general passport in preparation, he did not provide any further response.
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