Police will be able to file cases and take action against extortionists themselves when victims are too afraid to lodge a complaint, Inspector General of Police (IGP) Md Ali Hossain Fakir has said. Work has begun on a new law and on amending existing ones to that end, and he hopes a new law may be passed within a short time.
He said this at a media briefing on Saturday afternoon (24 October) after a community policing gathering for Khulna division at the Khulna Metropolitan Police (KMP) Police Lines.
The IGP said many extortionists commit crimes under the protection of influential people and criminals. As a result, people are too afraid to testify or complain against them. To deal with this, proposals for new and amended laws have been made after discussion with the home minister, so that police can file cases on their own initiative and act against offenders.
On criticism of the police’s role in fighting crime, Md Ali Hossain Fakir said police are called fascist when they use force against criminals, and weak when they do not. The force has to move past this and bring peace and justice to society through effective policing, he said.
He said joint operations against drugs, teenage gangs, terrorism and extortion are under way across the country. Steps are being taken within the legal framework to make policing more effective, and community policing will work as a branch of the police.
Voicing concern over the spread of drugs, the IGP said that over 17 years drugs had become so entrenched in society that they seemed normal. The current government has adopted a zero-tolerance policy on drugs, and everyone must unite to rid society of drugs, teenage gangs and extortion, he said.
Asked about the situation after 5 August, he said there were no police at that time and criminal activity went on in many places. Police now operate everywhere. Bangladesh is one of the most densely populated countries in the world, and with unemployment and other problems, not everything can be solved overnight, but the situation has improved, he said.
Calling on people to help and advise the police, the IGP said the police want to be humane and people-friendly. But in many cases offenders return to the same crimes within a short time of being brought to justice, and policy steps are being taken on how to deal with such repeat offenders, he said.
KMP Commissioner Md Sajjadur Rahman presided over the gathering. Khulna Range DIG Md Rezaul Karim and Khulna Police Training Centre Commandant AKM Mosharraf Hossain Miazi were special guests.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report