Police say it has been very difficult for them to secure the highways at this time when the country has been under a continued blockade enforced by the BNP-led alliance simply because of inadequate patrol vehicles.
The Police Week 2015, which started yesterday, has given the police the opportunity to highlight their problems and place demands, including addressing the vehicle shortage issue.
“We are facing a lot of problems patrolling the highways only because we do not have sufficient patrolling vehicles. If the problem is not addressed shortly, it would be very difficult for us to ensure security on the highways,” said a superintendent of police (SP).
The SP was speaking at a conference meeting of senior police officers at the Rajarbagh Police Telecom Building in the city on the occasion of the Police Week 2015 yesterday, a high official who attended the meeting told the Dhaka Tribune later.
The police high-ups discussed their problems at such a time when the country’s entire transport system is heavily dependent on escort by the law enforcers, including the police, because of the indefinite blockade and phases of hartal.
Several high officials of police who attended the meeting also said many officials expressed disinterest in being deputed to the Rapid Action Battalion as the elite force’s image had suffered a damage recently.
The officials said they thought working in RAB would leave a black mark on their career.
Inspector General of Police Shahidul Hoque gave a speech just before the meeting, in which he pointed out the problems the force is facing while discharging duties properly.
The IGP demanded increasing the manpower of the police force and opening of more specialised police units, a source from the meeting said.
Although 32,000 policemen were recruited during the previous government’s tenure, the department thinks the number is still insufficient to meet the demand.
In his speech, the IGP said in Bangladesh there was only one policeman for 1,066 people while India has a policeman for every 728 people and Pakistan has one for 725. The IGP also highlighted the need to solve residence problem as just 2% police officials are enjoying the facility at present.
The IGP demanded opening more police lines, one each at Uttara, Demra and Keraniganj.
A deputy commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police stressed the need for improving the force’s treatment facility.
An SP of Dhaka division said a 1994 ordinance asked for building the police headquarters but the Home Ministry was yet to address that matter.
Another SP of the division demanded risk allowance for police officials at all levels instead of just sub-inspectors. An SP of Khulna division suggested improving the force’s coordination with mobile courts.
A high official, who is now in RAB on deputation, demanded upgrading the post RAB director general to grade 1 and appointing experienced officials in the force.
State Minister for Home Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, who was the chief guest at the conference, said the government had already taken an initiative to recruit 50,000 more personnel to augment the police force.
He directed the IGP to take necessary administrative measures to initiate recruitment.
“We have decided in principle to form a cyber crime unit and a counter-terrorism unit to curb the increasing trend of cyber crimes and contain terrorism,” Kamal said, adding that the demand for opening a female barrack would be addressed soon.
