Past govts used police against people

The governments in the past sometimes had used police against people using the force's loyalty to the rulers, but police are now acting as people's friends, said Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Commissioner AKM Shahidul Hoque yesterday.
The police force should be loyal to the government if it wants to discharge its duty smoothly, he said, adding that but the governments in the past sometimes had used police against the people.
The DMP commissioner said this as the chief guest at a discussion to mark the International Mother Language Day jointly organised by Sammilita Sangskritik Jote (SSJ) and Bangladesh Police Sahitya Sangskritik Parishad (BPSSP) at Rajarbagh.
Recalling the contribution of police during the liberation war, he said police force had revolted first against the torture of the Pakistani military junta. They took their rifles in hand and fought with the well-equipped Pak army.
Shahidul called on all to bring up the children based on the spirit of Amar Ekushey and the liberation war.
Joint Commissioner of Detective Branch of DMP Amulya Bhushan Barua said a new movement should be launched to practise chaste [pure] Bangla language at every sphere.
Bangla is being wrongly pronounced in the FM radio stations of the country, he added.
Speakers at the discussion said the language movement sowed the seed of the liberation war that resulted in the country's independence.
The discussion was presided over by SSJ Vice President Golam Kuddus while SSJ General Secretary Hasan Arif and BPSSP General Secretary Habibur Rahman also spoke.
A cultural programme was also organised where SSJ members performed.