Bangladesh Police yesterday launched a three-year strategic plan to make it a modern service-oriented organisation.

“The proposed strategies are just the first step to build up such a modern police organisation that our community will be proud of it, ” said Inspector General of Police (IGP) Nur Mohammad while disclosing the 'Strategic Plan for 2008-10' at a city hotel.

Additional IGP and National Project Director of Police Reform Programme N B K Tripura, Director General of the Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) Hassan Mahmood Khandaker, Chief of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Mohammad Javed Patwary, Rector of Police Staff College AKM Mahfuzul Haque, and Chief of the Special Branch of Police Baharul Alam also spoke on the occasion.

Development partners, NGO representatives, former senior police officers, civil society members and eminent personalities were also present at the function.

The Ministry of Home Affairs and Bangladesh Police are implementing the programme while the European Commission is the major partner.

IGP Nur Mohammad said for the first time Bangladesh Police have a defining document that will outline their vision, mission, core values and priorities, and will guide them into the future.

“We have the vision of a police service that will work in partnership with the community and become a trusted partner rather than a feared tool of the state,” he said, adding, “ Our credibility depends on how we will implement the strategies.”

N B K Tripura said the entire police service will be involved in achieving the outcome that the strategic plan envisages.

The plan identifies five key strategic areas for fulfilling the vision of Bangladesh Police.

The first strategy is the organisational reform as it is the foundation for the implementation of other priorities.

The second strategy is community policing, which will foster real partnership with the community and develop operational priorities that will address the community needs.

Computerisation is the other cornerstone of the strategy as the Bangladesh Police wish to take full advantages of modern technology.