Police to be made as peoples' friendly force: Home Minister
Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed has said people should not expect a revolutionary change in the law and order situation overnight.
He vowed to make police force as a people friendly agency.
He said there had been no incident since he took charge in which suspects had not been arrested or brought under judicial process.
The home minister made the remarks on Wednesday (26 August) while addressing a doa and milad mahfil organised at the BNP central office in Nayapaltan in the capital on the occasion of Holy Eid-e-Miladunnabi (PBUH).
“It has to be considered that we inherited the law enforcement agencies in the condition they were in, an anarchic country after the July Uprising, and sky-high expectations from the people. All these issues have to be considered at the same time,” he said.
Salahuddin said the government was working to modernise law enforcement agencies, strengthen their morale and inspire them to serve the people.
The home minister highlighted the government’s achievements during its first six months in office and praised the role of law enforcement agencies.
“I frequently praise the activities of law enforcement agencies, including the police, because we have seen the condition in which we inherited the forces after the July Mass Uprising. We have improved their standing over the past six months. They have regained their morale and become more capable of containing all types of crime,” he said.
Referring to the recently reported double murder in Rangpur, which drew widespread attention, Salahuddin said the acting BNP secretary general had already noted that the suspected perpetrators were arrested and brought under judicial process within a short time.
“Similarly, the Ramisa murder and other much-discussed incidents have also been addressed through appropriate legal procedures. We arrested the suspects and produced them before the court shortly after the incidents occurred,” he said.
“We know all of this. I think people should not expect too much on this issue within such a short time,” the home minister added.
Salahuddin vowed to turn the police into a more people-friendly institution.
He said initiatives had been taken to ensure accountability among police personnel and reward them for good service.
“No one should expect everything to change overnight. We have started reshaping everything under the direction of our Prime Minister, the people’s leader Tarique Rahman,” he said.
The home minister sought cooperation from everyone, particularly by sharing information with the authorities, saying the BNP government was working alongside the people.