Don't let criminals make a comeback

Taking into account successes of the police before and during the army-led anticrime joint drive, Prime Minister Khaleda Zia yesterday asked the police high-ups to take all-out measures so that criminals cannot make a comeback on the cleaned ground.

"Keep up the image attained in restoring law and order in the country following the joint operation," she said addressing police high officials from the headquarters and field levels at the ICC in the Prime Minister's Office complex.

She told them that if necessary, the number of policemen in Rapid Action Team (RAT) would be raised from present 136 to 1000-1200 to contain terrors, extortionists and unauthorised arms-holders and recover all illegal weapons.

"At any cost you have to uphold as well as advance the success of joint operation, which created an image through restoring stability in society and improving law-and-order situation," she told the senior police officials.

"You have to be careful so that this image can't be damaged in any way," she reminded her audience.

The prime minister asked them to change people's perception about police, in spite of many good tasks done by the law-enforcing agencies.

Mentioning their successful action before joint drive, particularly during various religious festivals, the prime minister expressed her optimism that police could earn people's confidence through their honest, sincere and hard labour.

Home Minister Altaf Hossain Chowdhury, Home Secretary Omar Faruk, IG Modabbir Hossain Chowdhury, AIG Sajjad Hossain, AIG Chowdhury Kamrul Hasan, SP of Dhaka Khoda Boksh Chowdhury, CMP Commissioner Mohammad Shahidualla Khan, SP of Gazipur Yasmin Gafur and SP of Bogra Khan Sayeed Hasan also spoke at the meeting.

State Minister for Home Lutfuzzaman Babor, PM's Political Secretaries Harris Chowdhury and Mohammad Mosaddek Ali were present.

On the occasion of Police Week 2003, the prime minister had a free and frank exchange of views with senior police officials, including the IG, AIGs, DIGs, Commissioners and SPs, at the ICC in the Prime Minister's Office complex.

Assuring all cooperation from the government, Prime Minister Khaleda Zia advised them to remain alert so criminals cannot make a comeback.

She noted that a calm now prevailed in the society as many criminals were arrested, huge firearms recovered as well as some terrors fled the country during the 86-day combined operation by army, police and BDR.

Asking them to keep round-the-clock watch on all spheres to fend off reoccurrence of any crime across the country, she reminded the police officials that people would not have confidence in them if they failed to do these tasks. "And it would not bring good for anybody."

She asked them to be active in gathering advance information about criminals and take action against them before they can commit crime.

Listing various types of area-based crimes in the capital's criminal gangland, Khaleda also suggested to them to keep themselves up to date on those crimes in order to eradicate such offences. Also she advised the police force to adopt new strategies to cope with new modes of crime.

The prime minister urged the police to discharge their duties neutrally ignoring any interference from any quarters, asserting that her party and government don't believe in politicisation.

She asked them to rein in offenders irrespective of their identity or position.

Khaleda urged the police officials to present themselves in a way such that people take them as friends and can depend on them while terrors fear them.

Referring to "breakdown of the chain of command" in police administration during the last government's tenure, Prime Minister Khaleda Zia assured them that if any police official did wrong under pressure during that time, her government would let the matter drop.

"We want service -- and service for welfare of the people," she said asking them to carry out their duties without having to worry about any action against them for unwarranted deeds during the time of the past government.