The female officers of Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s (DMP) Women Support and Investigation Division (WSID) have been working as frontline fighters in the battle against coronavirus for the past several months.
The 101 members of the division have been relentlessly performing their duties despite the steep rise in the number of coronavirus cases and deaths in the force.
Alongside their regular responsibilities, this division has till now helped more than 1,000 helpless individuals, who were hit the hardest by this crisis, by contributing from their salaries and government rations, said Deputy Commissioner (DC) of DMP’s WSID Hamida Parvin, while speaking to Dhaka Tribune.
She said: “We are providing nonstop service round the clock just like any other police station.”
“Providing support to victims such as accommodation, food, medical care, legal counselling, and mediation of family issues, are some of our main functions.”
“However, outside of our daily work, we have been secretly providing relief to the people who have been affected the most due to coronavirus.
“Those who are homeless to single mothers, widows and people belonging to different sections of our socio-economic structure, many have been helped and provided with aid,” she added.
DC Hamida said: “Since the beginning of the coronavirus outbreak in the country, the victims living in the support centre -- women who are lost, who have run away from their families or workplaces, or domestic workers who have been abused among others -- have been taken care of just like a mother would take care of her children.”
“The thing is domestic violence never stops. Women of all sorts, from domestic workers to high-income working women, are being subjected to domestic violence during this crisis.”
“As a part of our duty, we rescued them and later took them to a safe place. We have also provided them with all the assistance necessary.”
“Our senior officials have always kept in touch with those who have come to the division for legal assistance due to domestic violence, and have continued to provide all kinds of help to them. We also provide legal assistance to such victims over the phone,” she added.
She said: “We are also providing support to the members of the force who have tested positive for the deadly virus. Meanwhile, various initiatives have been taken to keep the members of our division free from coronavirus.”
“We always fight to keep everyone well. The 101 female police members of our division are always ready to perform bigger roles in the need of the country.”