The Finance Ministry disbursed an additional Tk20.4cr for intelligence operations of the police and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), both under the Home Ministry, to tackle the 20-party alliance’s blockade and hartal-related violence.
A Finance Division circular regarding the disbursement, signed by Senior Assistant Secretary Sadia Sharmin, was issued yesterday.
For the 2014-15 fiscal year, the had government allocated Tk17.43cr for Bangladesh Police intelligence work and Tk4.50cr for BGB intelligence operations.
According to the circular, the Finance Division paid out an extra Tk15cr to Bangladesh Police for intelligence operations during hartals and the blockade and released Tk5.4cr to boost the BGB’s intelligence work.
A total of Tk20.4cr was released from the Unexpected Expenditure Management title of the current budget, which has an allocation of Tk1,500cr.
The police and BGB intelligence funds will be adjusted in the revised budget and unused money will be returned before the end of the fiscal year, the circular said.
In the first week of February, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) directed the Finance Ministry to provide necessary allocations to meet the urgent needs of the country’s law enforcement agencies.
A letter in this regard, signed by PMO Director Dr Dewan Muhammad Humayun Kabir, was sent to the senior secretaries of the Finance Division and the Home Ministry.
Earlier, a top-ranking Finance Division official told the Dhaka Tribune: “We are facing tremendous pressure regarding funding demands of Tk154.3cr from the Home Ministry, Railways Ministry and Roads and Highways Division.
“However, as of now, the [Finance] division has only disbursed Tk86.3cr from the fund for unexpected expenditures,” the official, who asked not to be named, said.
