Appreciating them for successfully tackling the terrorist activities unleashed by Jamaat-Shibir and Hefajat men, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday asked the police to ensure the strict enforcement of law in dealing with anti-development evil elements.
“The precondition of turning Bangladesh into a middle-income country by 2021 is to maintain the environment of investment as well as ensuring security to public, property and institutions. This sacred duty is bestowed upon the police members. You’ll have to ensure strict enforcement of law in curbing any anti-development evil forces of the country,” she said.
The Prime Minister was addressing a function marking the inauguration of the newly built building of the National Crime Control and Operations Monitoring (NCCOM) on the premises of the Police Headquarters.
Home Minister MK Alamgir, PM’s Adviser on Public Administration HT Imam, State Minister for Home Ministry Adv Shamsul Haque Tuku, Senior Secretary of Home Ministry CQK Mustaq Ahmed, Japanese Ambassador to Bangladesh Shiro Sadoshima spoke on the occasion. Inspector General of Police (IGP) Hasan Mahmood Khandaker delivered the welcome address while Additional IGP AKM Shahidul Haque gave the vote of thanks.
The construction work on the seven-storey building with a foundation of 22-storey one was completed with financial assistance from Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) under its Japan Debt Cancellation Fund (JDCF) at a cost of Tk 82.47 crore.
Turning to the election issue, the Prime Minister claimed that some 5,777 elections at different tiers during the tenure of the present government were held in a free, fair and neutral manner, and hoped that the members of Bangladesh Police would be able to discharge their duties neutrally and properly in the next general election, too.
“As an important member of the law enforcing agency, you have an important responsibility in holding the next general election in a free and fair manner, and you’ve already done this properly. It’s my belief you’ll be able to discharge your duties properly in the next general election,” she said.
In this connection, Hasina said no allegation was raised against any of these elections held during the tenure of the present government where some 64,000 public representatives were elected and the country’s people could exercise their voting rights freely and peacefully and thus elected their candidates.
“Winning the polls is not a big deal. The main thing is whether the election is held in a free, fair and neutral manner, and I would say all the elections in our tenure were held in a free and fair manner,” Hasina said asking the police members to discharge their duties neutrally from their own positions so that the trust among the common people could be kept intact.
Sheikh Hasina also reminded of the police members so that the troubled service seekers do not fall victim to unnecessary misconduct and harassment in police stations, investigation centers, police boxes and other offices of police.
“You’ll have to gain and keep people’s trust through being sympathetic to them and professionally dutiful. Police force is the abode of hopes and aspirations of common people. You’ll have to keep attention so that people could keep that trust,” Hasina told the police.
About technology, Hasina said every member of the Bangladesh Police would have to be at home in the use of information technology alongside gaining international standard in detecting crimes and criminals.
In this context, Hasina said the working pattern and scope of police is increasing every now and then due to the globalization and they have to work in curbing newer crimes like international and regional militancy, cyber crime, money laundering, smuggling drug and its misuse apart from other items and trafficking of women and children.
“The police will have to use modern technology to this end and we’ve given highest priority on improved training and the use of ICT,” she added.
Extending her thanks to each member of the Bangladesh Police for tackling the devastation and terrorist activities unleashed by the ferocious Jamaat-Shibir and Hefajat men with utmost patience, devotion, integrity, neutrality and professionalism, Hasina said her government has increased the donation of injured on duty police members to Tk one lakh from Tk 50,000 while that of the killed police members to Tk 5 lakh from Tk 3 lakh.
Besides, she said, the approval of the much-awaited 30 percent risk allowances is at the final stage.
With the inauguration of the NCCOM building, the Prime Minister said the operation capacity of the police would increase apart from properly monitoring the legal service delivery activities. Besides, the extension of the community policing programme, the command of police and control system alongside controlling militancy and terrorism would be smooth. As a result, the overall activities of the police would get dynamism.
Highlighting various initiatives of the present government for the betterment of the Bangladesh Police, Hasina said whenever Awami League government assumed office, it worked for building a disciplined, responsible, accountable and people-friendly police force on the guided path of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
She mentioned that her government has created 28,250 new posts in the police, including 500 of cadre ones, reintroduced the rank badge of IGP after long 28 years alongside upgrading the post of IGP to Senior Secretary, upgraded Grade 2 posts to Grade 1, set up 29 police stations apart from 47 investigation centers, upgrading the SI/Sergeant posts to 2nd class from 3rd class as well as the post of Inspector to 1st class non-cadre from 2nd class, gave approval for forming Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) to improve qualitative standard of investigation.
Besides, the Prime Minister said that the work for forming National Police Bureau of Counter Terrorism Unit is at the final stage while tourist police, campus police and naval police would soon be formed.
She informed that six more victim support centres under the supervision of female police would be launched soon.
Later, Hasina addressed a meeting with senior police officials at the Police Headquarters.
Source: UNBConnect
