A legal notice has been served on the government demanding the appointment of two separate police commissioners for Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) and Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC).
The notice was sent to the secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs, with a copy forwarded to the inspector general of police.
Issued on Wednesday by Advocate Zulfikar Ali Junu, chairman of the National Lawyers’ Council and a lawyer of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court, the notice said the Dhaka metropolitan area is divided into two distinct city corporations, each with separate geographical boundaries, large populations, independent administrative structures, and distinct civic responsibilities.
Citing existing laws, principles of administrative justice, and norms of good governance, the notice said each city corporation should have its own police commissioner. It referred to the Dhaka Metropolitan Police Ordinance, 1976, Articles 21 and 55 of the Constitution, and the state’s responsibility to maintain public safety and law and order, arguing that separate appointments are lawful and necessary.
The notice said the absence of separate police commissioners has created administrative complications, hampered effective supervision of law and order, and posed obstacles to ensuring citizen security and timely police services, in violation of constitutional principles and the rule of law.
It called for the immediate appointment of one police commissioner for DNCC and another for DSCC through necessary legal and administrative measures.
The notice warned that legal action would be initiated if effective steps are not taken within 15 days of receipt.
