Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday asked the members of Bangladesh Police to be the servants of people facing all the challenges and stand beside the helpless and endangered ones as their trusted friends.“I hope the police should be the servants of people facing all the diversified challenges …each and every police personnel should remain beside the helpless and endangered persons as their trusted friends so that people could have their confidence in you (police),” she said.
The Prime Minister was speaking at the inaugural function of the Bangladesh Police Week 2016 at Rajarbagh Police Lines.
Sheikh Hasina said the working areas of the police force are expanding every moment. “The police force has to play its due role in containing cybercrimes, money laundering, drug smuggling, goods smuggling, children and women trafficking alongside containing the incidents of theft, dacoity, murder and killing,” she said adding that they have to play a stronger role.
Hasina also mentioned that the role of the police is very much important in protecting wet and forest lands and environment. ” For that purpose, we’re giving the highest priority for providing modern training along with information technology for the police force.”
The Prime Minister said the police is also contributing a lot towards the country’s development. “If the law and order situation doesn’t remain under control, it’s not possible to have the socioeconomic development of the country.”
Hasina has directed the police to discharge their duty with the highest patriotism to maintain law and order, the existing peace, discipline and development trend.
She thanked the police for their special role in combating terrorism and militancy. “A process is underway to establish a ‘specialised unit’ to enhance the capacity of the police to combat terrorism and militancy.”
Elaborating the government measures taken for the development of the force, Hasina said the number of current manpower of Bangladesh Police is over 1.50 lakh. “We want to make the force even stronger and as part of that process we’ve decided to recruit another 50,000 to the force.”
The Prime Minister said the police has been playing a laudable role in tackling all the national problems, including resisting destructive and subversive acts of BNP-Jamaat-Shibir nexus, fighting militancy, holding trial of war criminals and 10th Jatiya Sangsad elections and that of city corporation, upazila and municipalities.
Pointing out that Bangladesh Police has earned widespread appreciation in UN peacekeeping missions through their efficiencies and professionalism, Hasina said necessary steps would be taken to infuse greater dynamism into its police activities in the peace missions.
At the function, the Prime Minister handed over Bangladesh Police Medal (BPM) and President Police Medal (PPM) to 102 police members in four categories for their bravery and heroism in their services during the last one year.
Of the policemen, 19 got the BPM Award and 40 the PPM Award, while 23 received BPM-Service Award and 40 others PPM-Service Award.
Earlier riding an open jeep, the Prime Minister reviewed an spectacular parade of different contingents of Bangladesh Police and took salute.
