Tk31,099cr home affairs budget includes 20 fire service stations at key locations

The government has undertaken a plan to establish 20 Fire Service and Civil Defence stations, including 12 new and eight reconstructed, at key locations across the country.

Additionally, the construction of two multi-storey residential buildings for officers and staff of the Fire Service and Civil Defence Department has also been allocated in the proposed budget for the fiscal year 2026–27.

To support these initiatives, the government has proposed an allocation of Tk31,099 crore for the Ministry of Home Affairs, which represents an increase of Tk3,098 crore compared with the revised allocation for the outgoing fiscal year.

Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury announced the proposed allocation while presenting the national budget in Parliament on Thursday. Of the total amount, Tk27915,48,81 will be spent for operation and Tk3183,39,34 for development.

The budget also outlines several initiatives aimed at strengthening law enforcement capabilities, including the procurement of modern equipment for the Dhaka Metropolitan Police, construction of a Counter-Terrorism and International Crime Prevention Centre for the Bangladesh Police, development of a safer cyberspace, enhancement of national and regional digital investigation capacities, and measures to prevent and respond to gender-based violence against women and girls.

Reacting to the proposed budget, former Additional Inspector General of Police M Akbar Ali said police stations are the primary point of contact for citizens seeking police services.

"Most police stations lack adequate logistical support and essential facilities. The budget does not include any significant allocation for the development of police stations. Without improving these frontline service centres, it will be difficult to ensure quality services for the public," said Akbar, who is also president of the Retired Police Officers Welfare Association.

The budget also includes a number of infrastructure and capacity-building projects, including the construction of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) headquarters building, infrastructure development for the 63 BGB Battalion in Gazipur and procurement of vessels to strengthen the operational capacity of the Bangladesh Coast Guard.

Commenting on the proposed budget, Major (retd) AKM Shakil Newaz, former director (operations and maintenance) of the Fire Service and Civil Defence, said greater emphasis should be placed on public awareness and fire safety training. "There should be a dedicated allocation for training ordinary citizens on fire safety. In addition, the cost of fire safety equipment should be reduced to encourage wider use," he told the Daily Sun.

In addition, to strengthen border management and enhance law enforcement capabilities, the government has planned to construct 73 modern Border Observation Posts (BOPs) along the country's border areas amid ongoing concerns over the push-in issue involving Bangladesh and India.

The budget also provides for the construction of 200-bed drug addiction treatment centres in seven divisional cities, implementation of the first revised Mymensingh Central Jail Reconstruction Project, preservation of historic structures and development of the surrounding area of the former Dhaka Central Jail under a revised project, and implementation of the first revised Narsingdi District Jail Construction Project.