Police, not ACC to arrest suspects: PM

Prime minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday said the Anti-Corruption Commission could issue directives to law enforcement agencies to apprehend their suspects while it was not vested with the authority to arrest anyone directly.

She also said that the commission 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 be kept in mind,’ she said at a senior police officers conference at her office as part of the Police Week  2020 celebrations.

The prime minister said police personnel were now getting appointments in the Anti-Corruption Commission 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 Anti-Corruption Commission should keep in mind their jurisdictions in performing their jobs.

The prime minister asked the police force to develop a more people-friendly image, appreciating its achievement in the recent past in earning people’s confidence and trust to a great extent as the country’s main law enforcement agency.

‘You will have to become people’s police,’ she said.

‘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 ‘Mujib Borsher Ongikar, Police Hobe Janatar’.

The prime minister 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 towards the law enforcement agency as they now witnessed quick police response after calling the number.

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

Sheikh Hasina said police force now crucially needed a separate medical corps of its own as the doctors from outside generally was 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.

The prime minister 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 was now frequently changing with rapid development of digital technology posing a challenge to police, which now required the force to equip them with time-befitting training particularly to handle the cybercrimes.

‘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, proper training, forming special police units, building modern labs, arranging 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 women police in future.

Sheikh Hasina said police recently recruited nearly 10,000 constables through a very transparent process setting an ‘imitable example’.

The prime minister praised the role of police in containing extremism, terrorism and drug abuse and asked them to further strengthen their on-going drives to root out terrorism and narcotics.

‘A society free from terrorism, communalism, extremism and drugs is indispensable to turn the youth folk into a skilled manpower,’ she said reminding police of her government’s ‘zero tolerance policy’ against terrorism, extremism and drugs so they could not victimise the young people anymore.

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

Sheikh Hasina said Bangladesh was now being treated as a role model of development in the international world and added that the nation now expected police to play their part in advancing Bangladesh’s development being imbued with the spirit of 1971 and patriotism.

The prime minister said Bangladesh gave shelter to more than 11 lakh forcibly displaced Myanmar nationals on completely humanitarian grounds.

‘Police is playing a commendable role in ensuring security to the Rohingya camps and maintaining law and order there,’ she said.

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, torching and killing of innocent people,’ she said.

The prime minister added, ‘But police members prevented those subversive activities with highest professionalism and managed to restore peace and confidence in the society.’

Home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, senior secretary of the Public Security Division Mostafa Kamal and inspector general of police Mohammad Javed Patwary also addressed the function.

Dhaka Metropolitan Police commissioner Md Shafiqul Islam, Mymensingh range DIG Harunur Rashid, Khulna Metropolitan Police commissioner Khandakar Lutful Kabir and additional police superintendent of Chattogram Amena Begum also spoke.

Ministers, the prime minister’s advisers, secretaries to the PM and senior PMO officials were present on the occasion.

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net