Police Service Association protests remarks by Jamaat leader

The Police Service Association has protested comments made by Jamaat-e-Islami leader Shahjahan Chowdhury, who said, “In every constituency, the administration must be brought under our control. They will act on our orders—arrest, file cases. The police must walk behind you. The OC of the police station will review your schedule every morning and provide you protocol.”

The association said such remarks amount to incitement to politically exploit a key institution of a democratic state.

In a statement issued on Monday night, the Police Service Association said the comments came to their attention after circulating widely on social media. They described the remarks as “ambitious and demeaning to the police.”

Shahjahan Chowdhury, a member of Jamaat’s central executive committee and a former MP, made the comments at a rally in Chattogram last Saturday. The remarks have sparked widespread discussion and criticism online.

In its statement, the association, made up of BCS cadre police officers, said that Bangladesh Police is guided by the constitution and the law. It noted that over the past 17 years, attempts were made to exert political influence on the institution by using some ambitious officers, which created a distance between the police and the public. However, since the 5 August student–citizen uprising, the police have been working in a more neutral and professional manner.

The association added that ahead of the 13th Jatiya Sangsad (national parliament) election scheduled for February 2026, the police are performing their duties impartially, with no alignment to any political group.

“The era of fulfilling political ambitions is over, now the police work prioritising law, regulations, and public welfare, and believe in accountability to the people,” it said.