In the last week of the financial year, the  police have  demanded a disburse of 30 per cent of the  Letter of Credit or 177.03 crore to  procure helicopters from Russia. 

Right now, the supply of helicopters from Russia is a priority for the  government . But the Finance Ministry does not want to waive the money that falls between “two-star middle-class purchases” under ongoing austerity measures.

According to the sources of Public Security and Service Protection in the Home Ministry, the Aviation Wing of Bangladesh Police was launched in March 2022.

However, the aviation wing of the police wants to start using helicopters bought in installments by the government which is  facing an economic and financial crisis. 

The police’s plan is to suppress opposition protests and to rescue the ordinary people and the police across the country.

The Division of Public Safety and Security Services of the Ministry of Home Affairs has sent the proposal to the Finance Ministry asking for money to open the Letter of Credit to procure helicopters from Russia.

It is known from the proposal that  Tk191 crore  have been allocated for the current 2023-24 fiscal year budget for Bangladesh Police aviation sector, from which Tk  177.03 crore  will be released to open LC for JSC Russian Helicopters Company of the Russia Federation.

Since there is no opportunity to allocate funds for these two JSC Russian helicopters in the next financial year 2024-2025, Bangladesh Police applied for the opportunity of allocation in the current financial year.

 In the post budget news conference, Finance Minister Abul Hasan Mahmud Ali said the country will continue its procurement, administration and development projects for the next six months under the contractionary policy.

Meanwhile, the JSC has promised to deliver two Russian Mi-171A2 helicopters in August., Bangladesh Police pilots and officers of the Aviation Wing have participated in the ceremonial training and stage inception ceremony in Russia, which has received international sanctions due to the Russia-Ukraine war. 

At present, Bangladeshi police officials are staying in Russia for test run and pre-shipment inspection of the helicopters.

Dhaka Metropolitan Detective Police (DB) launched a helicopter raid in Khagarchari-Chittagram to arrest two absconding accused in the murder of Member of Parliament of Jhenaidah-4 Constituency Anawirul Azim Anna to show the action of the aviation wing of the police before the electronic media. 

Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Intelligence Branch (DB) chief Haroon-or-Rashid was seen sitting in the helicopter looking down through the glass window. Senior police officials are more interested in flying in the sky with people's money. That is why they want to use Russian helicopters. A senior official of the Ministry of Home Affairs not to be named said, “On October 28 last year, the firing of bullets on innocent people from the roof of a high-rise building in Shanti Nagar played an effective role in disrupting the public meeting of opposition parties including BNP. This time, the Riot Police want to use  the helicopter bought from Russia disrupting  the public meetings of opposition parties including BNP . Then it will be easy to attack the people of the opposing party from above with helicopters.”

Zillur Rahman, a former police officer and barrister based in the UK, told The Mirror that the patrol wanted to convert police helicopters into gunships. The  police law is a violation of human rights if they shoot rubber bullets on innocent people  . In the case of armies it is right to shoot their opponents .

He also said how can the government buy an aircraft for the police without any kind of tender from an internationally banned country Russia.

The government signed a contract in 2021 to procure two helicopters from the  state-owned JSC Russian Helicopters in the Russian Federation . The government is spending  Tk 428.11 crore to buy the helicopters.