Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday asked police personnel to gain and retain public trust by discharging their duties professionally and by being sympathetic to the people. The Prime Minister made these remarks on the occasion of the inauguration of the newly established building of the National Crime Control and Operations Monitoring (NCCOM) on the premises of the Police Headquarters. Construction of the seven-storey building, with the foundation for a 22-storey one, was completed with financial assistance from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) under its Japan Debt Cancellation Fund (JDCF) at a cost of Tk. 82.47 crore.
Home minister MK Alamgir, PM’s adviser on public administration HT Imam, state minister for home Advocate Shamsul Haque Tuku, senior secretary of the home ministry CQK Mustaq Ahmed and Japanese ambassador to Bangladesh Shiro Sadoshima spoke on the occasion.
Inspector general of police (IGP) Hassan Mahmood Khandker delivered the welcome address while additional IGP AKM Shahidul Haque gave the vote of thanks.
“You’ll have to gain and keep public trust by being sympathetic to them and be professionally dutiful. The police force is the abode of hopes and aspirations of common people. You’ll have to pay attention so that people can keep that trust,” Hasina told the police.
In her speech, the PM extended her thanks to the Bangladesh police for tackling the devastation and terrorism unleashed by the “ferocious” activists of Jamaat-Shibir and Hefazat with “utmost patience, devotion, integrity, neutrality and professionalism”.
Asking the police to ensure that the law is strictly enforced in dealing with anti-development evil forces, the PM said her government has increased the donations to police members injured on duty to Tk. 1 lakh from Tk. 50,000 and those to the families of slain police members to Tk. 5 lakh from Tk. 3 lakh. Besides, she said, approval of the much-awaited 30 per cent risk allowance is at its final stage.
Hasina mentioned that her government has created 28,250 new posts in the police, including 500 cadre ones, reintroduced the rank badge of IGP after 28 years as well as upgraded the post of IGP to senior secretary, upgraded grade II posts to grade I, set up 29 police stations apart from 47 investigation centres, upgraded the posts of sub-inspectors and sergeants to 2nd class from 3rd class as well as the posts of inspector to 1st class non-cadre from 2nd class and given approval for forming Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) to improve the qualitative standards of investigation.
The Prime Minister added that work for forming the National Police Bureau of Counter Terrorism Unit is at the final stage while tourist police, campus police and naval police would soon be formed as well. She announced that six more victim support centres under the supervision of female police personnel would be launched soon.
Later, Hasina addressed a meeting with senior police officials at the Police Headquarters.
“The precondition for turning Bangladesh into a middle-income country by 2021 is to maintain the environment of investment as well as ensure security to the public, properties and institutions. This sacred duty is bestowed upon the members of the police. You will have to ensure strict enforcement of the law in curbing any anti-development evil forces of the country,” she said.
Speaking about the issue of elections, the Prime Minister claimed that some 5,777 elections at different tiers during the tenure of the present government have been held in a free, fair and neutral manner, and expressed her hope that the members of Bangladesh police would be able to discharge their duties neutrally and properly in the next general elections as well.
“As an important member of the law enforcing agencies, you have an important responsibility in holding the next general elections in a free and fair manner, and you’ve already done this
properly. It is my belief you’ll be able to discharge your duties properly in the next general elections,” she said.
In this connection, Hasina said no allegation has been levelled against any of these elections held during the tenure of the present government where some 64,000 public representatives were elected. The country’s people could exercise their voting rights freely and peacefully and elect their candidates, she added.
“Winning the polls is not a big deal. The main thing is whether the elections are 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 members of the police to discharge their duties neutrally from their own positions so that the trust among the common people remains intact.
-With The Independent input
