Gear up community policing to maintain peace: PM

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DHAKA, Sept 11, 2019 (BSS) – As peace is a precondition for development and community policing a rewarding instrument for maintaining law and order, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said today community policing should be strengthened further to attain the avowed goal of maintaining normalcy in the society and hasten the pace of progress.

“Bangladesh is a densely populated country. If we could gear up the community policing with participation of the commoners, it will then act as an effective means to maintain peace and the law and order,” she said.

The Prime Minister was inaugurating the commercial operation of the Community Bank Bangladesh Limited belonging to the ownership of Bangladesh Police Welfare Trust through a video conference at the Ganabhaban here.

She said, “The participation of community people will also help lowering crimes.”

The Prime Minister, however, called upon the police personnel to make their best possible efforts to maintain peace and discipline essentially needed for the overall economic uplift.

In this context, she said, “I hope that the police will perform their duties with utmost sincerity and professionalism as they are currently doing. It will help the country take forward and build a better life for the next generation.”

The premier highly appreciated the police force for setting up a rare example of recruiting its manpower without taking bribe. “Police have regained the people’s confidence and trust following their activities. It should be followed by others.” She also called upon the police personnel to work in such a way as the police stations can be treated as the places of people’s of trust and confidence.

Putting emphasis on giving proper training, the Prime Minister said, “It is essential to impart the police personnel with appropriate training as the trend of crimes is being changed due to use of modern technology and sophisticated arms.”

Mentioning the commendable works of the police force in containing militancy and terrorism, she asked the police personnel to remain alert against cyber crimes, money launderings, militancy and terrorism.

The Prime Minister said the Awami League government has earlier formed special units for police such as anti-terrorism unit, cyber unit, industrial unit, tourism unit and Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) and purchased modern and sophisticated arms and ammunition alongside other equipment to handle such specific crimes.

Terming drug abuse as a social menace, she asked the law enforcers to continue the ongoing crackdown against narcotics as it not only destroys a person but also an entire family and thus the nation.

Referring to the BNP atrocities on policemen, the premier said, “As many as 26 to 27 policemen were killed in 2013, 2014 and 2015 as the BNP-Jamaat clique had unleashed a reign of terror in the name of movement.”

The Prime Minister said that they have given permission of running the Community Bank Bangladesh Limited to fulfill the long-cherished demand of the police.

She however remembered the formation of separate banks for the armed forces, border guards and ansars to this end.

The Bangladesh Community Bank Ltd is set to start its operation with six branches – two in Dhaka’s Gulshan and Motijheel areas, and one each at Agrabad in Chottagram, Shreepur Mawna in Gazipur, Panchabati in Narayanganj and Noapara in Habiganj with a vision to reach out to the members of different communities with innovative banking services.

The bank got its license on November 1 in 2018 to start its operation with the paid up capital of Taka 400 crore.

Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan, Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal and Secretary of Public Security Division of Home Ministry Mustafa Kamal Uddin, among others, spoke on the occasion.

Prime Minister’s Principal Secretary Md Nojibur Rahman conducted the function while Inspector General of Police (IGP) Dr Mohammad Javed Patwary made a video presentation on the Community Bank Bangladesh.

PM’s Political Adviser H T Imam, lawmaker Md. Habibe Millat, Chief Coordinator on SDG Affairs of the Prime Minister Office (PMO) Md Abul Kalam Azad, PMO Secretary Sajjadul Hassan, PM’s Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim, National Board of Revenue (NBR) Chairman Md. Mosharraf Hossain Bhuiyan, Outgoing Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Commissioner Md Asaduzzaman Miah and Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) Director General Benazir Ahmed were also present.

The premier, later, exchanged views with police personnel and the bank officials stationed at Rajarbagh Police Auditorium and Community Bank, Gulshan Branch, through the video conference.