Police Week 2020 Police asked to earn people’s trust

Prime minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday expressed her disappointment to the home ministry as many of the promises she had made for the police last year were not fulfilled in a year and gave the ministry one week to follow up the progress on the promises.

In a closed-door meeting at Rajarbagh Police Lines in the capital on the occasion of the Police Week-2020, five police members raking from constable to assistant superintendent raised various unsettled issues before the PM.

Home minister Asaduzzaman Khan, home secretary Mustafa Kamal Uddin and inspector general of police Mohammad Javed Patwary were present at the meeting.

Senior police officials told New Age that after the police officials mentioned their unmet demands, the prime minister instantly inquired to the home secretary as to why the demands still remained unfulfilled.

The demands included introducing or increasing some allowances like tiffin money, nursing bill, or orderly bill at the lower tier in the force.

The home secretary replied that they approved some promises, including one granting Tk eight lakh for anyone killed in action and Tk four lakh each for the injured on duty, but the decisions were pending approval of the finance ministry.

The prime minister ordered the home ministry to follow the decisions up in a week and said that allocations to the law-enforcement agencies were not expenditure but investment.

The police officers were seeking Tk 15 lakh for anyone killed during operation but the prime minister said that the amount would be Tk eight lakh each for those killed in action and Tk four lakh each for those injured on duty.

She told the police officials that she, if necessary, would allow additional funds considering the situation in which a death or injury on duty occurred.

The prime minister also approved in principle the payment of one month’s full salary each year instead of the ‘rest and recreation leave’ and a 15-day leave every three year for the members of the force.

She expressed concern over the high-rise buildings around the police lines. She advised the police to come up with a proposal to solve their accommodation problem.

Prior to the internal meeting, the prime minister, during the Police Week parade, asked the law-enforcement agency to earn the confidence and trust of the people.

‘The police will have to establish themselves as the police of the people. It’s very easy to contain any type of crime through gaining people’s trust and confidence. I hope you’ll work keeping this in mind,’ she told the programme attended by hundreds of police personnel from across the country in the presence of cabinet members and foreign dignitaries.

She further said that the government wanted the police to be a ‘pro-people force’.

The five-day Police Week-2020 with the theme ‘Mujib Borsher Ongikar Police Hobe Jonatar (The commitment of the police in Mujib Year is that they would serve the people)’ kicked off at Rajarbagh Police Lines.

The prime minister inspected the parade and took salute of different police units riding an open jeep.

Fourteen police members received the Bangladesh Police Medal (BPM) for gallantry while 20 the President Police Medal (PPM) for gallantry, 28 the Bangladesh Police Medal (BPM) for service and 56 the President Police Medal (PPM) for service for their outstanding performances in the service in the last one year.

Sheikh Hasina also visited different stalls set up by the Bangladesh Police Nari Kalyan Samiti on the police lines ground.

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net