Dismissed trainee SIs continue hunger strike for reinstatement
Trainee sub-inspectors (SIs) from the 40th batch of police recruits, who were dismissed from service, are continuing their hunger strike for a second consecutive day, demanding reinstatement.
Around 25 dismissed SIs, including female participants, were seen sitting on mats in front of the Secretariat at 9:30 am on Tuesday. Some held placards in protest.
The protest began on Monday afternoon when the dismissed SIs gathered in front of the Secretariat. A three-member delegation from the group entered the Secretariat to meet with officials from the Ministry of Home Affairs. However, after the meeting, the officials did not offer any assurances regarding their demands, leading the SIs to begin their hunger strike.
The protesters have set up their strike near the road opposite Gate 1 and Gate 2 of the Secretariat, leading towards the Osmani Memorial Auditorium.
One of the dismissed trainees, Md Akash, told Jago News, "We’ve been on hunger strike since Monday afternoon and suffered through the cold last night. We’ll continue until our demands are met."
Another protester, Nayen Basak, added, "Aside from the cold, there were no major issues last night. We’ve been treated unjustly, and we will continue our strike until justice is served. We hope the government will accept our legitimate demands."
Nayen Chandra Das, another dismissed SI, said, "If we had done something wrong, we wouldn’t endure such hardship for our demands. We haven’t been contacted by the government yet, but we hope they’ll accept our just demands."
On January 5 and 6, 321 trainee sub-inspectors staged a peaceful sit-in in front of the Ministry of Home Affairs. A delegation from their group met with the Home Secretary, who assured them that action would be taken on their demands. However, by January 12, no visible steps were taken, prompting the protesters to return to the Secretariat on Monday and resume their protest. After the meeting failed to yield any results, they began their hunger strike.
The 40th batch of SI recruits consists of 823 trainees, who started their basic training at the Rajshahi Police Academy in Sarda on November 4, 2024. Of these, 313 trainees received show-cause notices for allegations of indiscipline during class and field training, leading to their dismissal from service.