Bangla to raise new police unit for VVIP security

Bangladesh plans to raise an elite police unit for protection of VVIPs, including the President, Prime Minister and visiting foreign heads of state, along side the SSF, which is currently solely responsible to carry out the task, officials said.

Bangladesh plans to raise an elite police unit for protection of VVIPs, including the President, Prime Minister and visiting foreign heads of state, along side the Special Security Force (SSF), which is currently solely responsible to carry out the task, officials said on Sunday.

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"We have forwarded a police headquarters proposal for raising the specialised unit to the Prime Minister's office," a senior Home Ministry official told PTI, adding the proposal was prepared in line with a government directive.

He said the proposed unit, which is to be called 'Bureau of Crisis Response and Protection (BCRS)' would also provide security to visiting foreign heads of state and government and any person designated as very very important person by the government.

Officials familiar with the development said Premier Sheikh Hasina earlier on two occasions told senior police officials about the plan to raise the unit with strength of over 32,000 specially trained and equipped policemen in next three years.

They said the police headquarters proposed 3,730 posts for the unit to be headed by an officer of the rank of Inspector General of Police (IGP), who will be assisted by two additional Inspectors General, two Deputy Inspectors General, seven Additional Deputy Inspectors General and 14 Police Superintendent-level officers.