Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal has said that not only the policemen who are in charge of the security of the ambassadors are being withdrawn, but the police protocol to ministers will also be removed in phases.
Guard regiments formed from Ansar forces will be in charge of their security instead of the police.
The home minister made the statement in response to questions from journalists at an event in Tejgaon of the capital on Monday.
Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal said so far the ambassadors of the UK, US, Saudi Arabia and India were given additional protocol. Police were deployed in front and behind their car.
“We thought, instead of the police, a guard regiment formed from Ansar forces would be in charge of their protocol. And if the ambassador of any country wants this facility, we will also give it to them. That is our decision,” he explained.
Asaduzzaman also said that the country needs policemen for many jobs. It is not possible to increase the number of police for the time being, and on the other hand, the national election will be held soon.
“After thinking about the situation from all point of views, we have decided to withdraw policemen from that protocol,” he added.
Stating that there is no hostile relationship with anyone, the home minister said: "We have made a very strong and modernly equipped Protection Guard Regiment. It was formed out of Ansar Battalion under the direction of the prime minister.
Ambassadors of different countries, including the US, the UK and India, posted in Bangladesh will no longer receive additional protocol privileges from now.
The special protocol had been in place since the 2016 Holey Artisan Attack in Dhaka's Gulshan.
The government took the decision to withdraw the additional protocol privileges on Sunday, Dhaka Police Commissioner Khandker Golam Faruq told the media on Monday.
Embassies and police were informed of the decision through a letter from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs a week ago.