Gaining people’s trust very important: PM to police

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today directed the police to gain the trust and confidence of people as this is very important for them.

"There's a proverb in Bengali, 'Baghe dharle ek gha, police dharle 18 gha (Meaning police are more dangerous than tigers). This proverb needs to be proved wrong," she said.

The prime minister was speaking at a meeting with senior officials of the police at the International Conference Centre (ICC) of her office, marking the Police Week 2018.

She said the police personnel have to establish an image that they are the resort of trust and confidence for the mass people.

"Police have to gain people's confidence and trust so that they can think that police will help them, police are with them, they're the resort of trust for people. You must build that trust," she said.

The prime minister said the present police force is the force of independent Bangladesh and it is their topmost priority to gain people's trust and confidence. "You must do that," she said.

Terming drug abuse another social menace like militancy, Hasina asked the police to be harsher on it to root out this from society. "You've to be tougher as you were while dealing with militancy...you'll have to conduct drives against drug abuse to save the country."

She said the police will have to be prompter in drives against drug abuse as it is destroying society. "You'll have to find out from where it comes, who use it, who're involved in it and who're doing this illicit business," she said.

The prime minister asked them to widen intelligence activities in the country and share information among various agencies. "It is not possible to do everything alone, if the work is done in a coordinated manner through information sharing then the success rate will be higher with little casualties."

The premier said she has already given directives that one intelligence agency will share information with others to take planned measurers. "If anyone gets any information you share it quickly so that we can take appropriate action."

Hasina recalled the late-night coordination meeting at Gono Bhaban during the Holey Artisan attack in Dhaka and the successful results of that. "This is not a matter of taking credit alone...sometimes it was seen that one has to lay down his or her life while taking credit alone...you have to consider the risk of the task...this is a matter about life and death."

She said a committee has been formed with one of her advisers as the chief and the home minister as one of its members to hold meetings with intelligence agencies which will determine what to be done on receiving such information.

Highly appreciating the Bangladesh Police for their success in containing terrorism, militancy and maintaining public security, Hasina said they can be compared with police organisations of any developed country in the world.

She said the government will provide more facilities for the police so that they can accomplish responsibilities like the police of the developed nations.

About cybercrimes, she said sometimes technology also creates problems and the government wants to develop Bangladesh Police as more efficient and equipped with modern technology to handle such crimes.

Putting emphasis on ensuring peace and stability in the country, Hasina said economic activities get accelerated with peace and stability which in turn strengthens the national economy.

About the problems of the police raised in today's meeting, the prime minister assured them of taking necessary measures to solve those.

About political violence of the BNP-led alliance during 2013 to 2015, she said in her 50-year political life, she never saw such scene of people being burnt in the name of political activities.

She mentioned that the BNP-Jamaat ally that carried out arson attack, vandalism and violence in the name of movement are now carrying out propaganda against Bangladesh.

Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal and Inspector General of Police (IGP) AKM Shahidul Hoque, among others, also spoke at the meeting.