People’s negative impression of police a past reality: PM Hasina

Appreciating police's achievement in the recent past in earning people’s confidence and trust to a great extent as the country’s main law enforcement agency, prime minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday asked the force to develop a more people-friendly image.

“You will have to become ‘people’s police’,” she told a senior police officers conference at her office (PMO) as part of the celebrations of Police Week-2020.

The prime minister said police in recent years could largely defuse people’s negative impression towards them, which she said was the reality in the past.

“The public confidence and trust in the police have increased significantly... this is what we need crucially,” she said.

Bangladesh’s police this year observe the Police Week-2020 that began on Sunday coinciding with the Mujib Borsho with the theme being “Mujib Borsher
Ongikar, Police Hobe Janatar”.

The PM appreciated the selection of the theme calling it a very important commitment in the present day context.

Sheikh Hasina said the introduction of the National Emergency Service-999, largely boosted people’s confidence in the law enforcement agency as they now witness quick response of the force after calling the number.

The prime minister said police personnel are now getting appointments in the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) while they should have their representatives in other public organisations as well.

“We’ll take initiatives in this regard,” she said referring to a police demand for their engagement beyond the force.

The prime minister, however, said various public organisations and statutory bodies including the ACC should keep in mind their jurisdictions in performing their jobs.

She said ACC could issue directives to law enforcement agencies to apprehend their suspects while it was not vested with the authority of arrest anyone directly.

Sheikh Hasina also said ACC was not authorised to create any prison to detain anyone after one’s arrest.

“Appropriate organisations will have to do their respective works and this will have to keep in mind,” she said.

The prime minister said a police unit was developed particularly to secure the industries saying this specialised Industrial Police should be more strengthened to ensure security in the 100 special economic zones under construction across the country.

Sheikh Hasina said police force now crucially needed a separate medical corps of its own as physicians from outside generally were unwilling to join the Police Hospital while the main law enforcement agency itself had many physicians.

“A separate medical corps can easily be raised with police officials having medical background,” she said.

She said though the existing government hospitals were equipped with required facilities, a police medical corps could be run by their own physicians.

Sheikh Hasina said nature of crimes is now changing frequently with rapid development of digital technology posing a challenge to police. The force required to equip them with time-befitting training particularly to handle the cyber crimes.

“That’s why, the capability of the police force needs to be further strengthened,” she said and listed the steps taken already to increase its manpower, training, forming special police units, building modern labs, organising vehicles and modern equipment.

Sheikh Hasina said the government widened the field of foreign training for the police personnel and revealed a plan to set up a separate training centre for the members of female police in future.

She said police recently recruited nearly 10,000 constables through a very transparent process setting an “imitable example”.

The premier praised the role of police in containing terrorism, militancy and drug abuse and asked them to further strengthen their ongoing drives to root out terrorism and narcotics.

“A society free from terrorism, communalism, militancy and drugs is indispensable to turn the youth into a skilled manpower,” she said reminding the force of her government’s “zero tolerance policy” against terrorism, militancy and drugs.

The prime minister reminded all policemen of the force’s glorious role in Liberation War in 1971 and its subsequent contributions to maintain law and order and protecting public security in different national crises.

Sheikh Hasina said Bangladesh is now being treated as a role model of development in the international world and added that the nation now expects police to play their part in advancing Bangladesh’s development being imbued with the spirit of liberation war and patriotism.

She said Bangladesh gave shelter to more than 1.1 million forcibly displaced Myanmar nationals on completely humanitarian grounds. “Police is playing a commendable role in ensuring security of the Rohingya camps and maintaining law and order there.”

Sheikh Hasina said the anti-liberation communal forces made sinister attempts to destabilise the country in 2013, 2014 and 2015. “They unleashed terror and ruined state properties through strikes, blockades, violence, and torching and killing of innocent people."

“But police members prevented those subversive activities with highest professionalism and restored peace and confidence in the society,” the prime minister added.

Home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, public security division senior secretary Mostafa Kamal and Inspector General of Police (IGP) Mohammad Javed Patwary also addressed the function.