The government has decided to recruit 81,241 more police members with a view to ensuring public safety and a conducive environment for economic activities.
Finance Minister AMA Muhith in his budget speech yesterday said as many as 31,241 posts had already been created to strengthen the police force. “The process to create 50,000 more posts is under way.”
At present, around 1,55,800 police are deployed all over the country. Of them, more than 1,00,000 are constables.
To combat terrorism, the government has panned to arrange training programmes for the members of Industrial Police, Tourist Police, Security and Protection Battalion, and Police Bureau of Counter Terrorism. “They will also get modern hi-tech arms and ammunitions,” Muhith told parliament.
The government has also undertaken projects to construct fire stations at 156 upazilas having no such facility, he added.
“Construction of the Central Jail at Keraniganj in Dhaka is under way. In addition, a full-fledged jail training academy will be set up in Rajshahi and a jail training institute in Dhaka to ensure necessary training for prison officials and employees including prison sentries.”
The minister said the government had formulated the draft “National Defence Policy.” It will be finalised soon.
“Due to our success in modernising the armed forces, Bangladesh now tops the list of countries sending troops to the United Nation’s peacekeeping missions,” Muhith said.
Discussing rule of law, the minister said the government had attached enough importance to maintenance and construction of physical infrastructure for different courts/tribunals.
Digital display boards had been set up in 13 district courts to enable the masses to view the daily cause lists. “Trial of 18 war crime cases has already been completed,” he added.
The sensational BDR mutiny case had also been disposed of, he said.
“Considerable progress was made in the trial of the killing of four national leaders and the Chittagong 10-truck arms haul cases. Judicial proceedings on other important cases including the August 21 grenade attack are also in progress,” Muhith said.
