Staff Reporter :
Chief Adviser Professor Dr. Muhammad Yunus on Tuesday called upon the police to rebuild public trust in the force, emphasizing that law enforcement must play a vital role in ensuring free and fair elections.
“Despite limitations in manpower, logistics, and budget, the most significant challenge is to reduce the gap that has been created between the police and the public over the past 16 years and to restore trust in the force,” he said.
Professor Dr. Yunus came up with these remarks as the chief guest at the inaugural session of Police Week 2025 held at the Rajarbagh Police Auditorium in the capital.
He said regaining public confidence in the police is achievable through concerted efforts at all levels. From the grassroots, police must engage with communities to build this trust, and the government will extend full support to this endeavor.
Referring to his earlier announcements that the next general elections would be held between December this year and June 2026, Prof Yunus underlined the crucial role of the police in ensuring the elections are free, fair, and peaceful.
“It is our collective responsibility to create an environment where every citizen can exercise their right to vote freely,” he said, urging the police
to maintain neutrality and treat all candidates equally during the polls.
The Chief Adviser noted that when the interim government assumed office in August last year, the law enforcement agencies were in a fragile state.
He said the government took necessary steps to address the divide between the police and the public.
He added that measures were implemented to reduce public suffering on roads, conduct special drives, and introduce initiatives to boost the morale of police personnel.
Thanks to the dedicated efforts of the police, major festivals including Durga Puja, Bishwa Ijtema, Eid-ul-Fitr, and Bangla Nababarsha were celebrated peacefully, he said.
He commended law enforcement agencies for bringing the country’s law and order situation under control and urged them to take a strong stance against violence toward women.
He stressed that women from all walks of life must feel confident in reaching out to the police, particularly through the hotline services.
Reflecting on the police’s historic contribution to the nation’s Liberation War, he recalled the night of March 25, 1971, when members of the Bengali police at Rajarbagh Police Lines built the first armed resistance-a chapter of great pride in Bangladesh Police’s history.
Paying tribute to the martyred police officers of 1971, Prof Yunus reaffirmed that the people of this country have long aspired to a society where rights are upheld and discrimination is eliminated.
He emphasized that the police have a key role in fulfilling that national aspiration.
He also criticized the politicization of the police during past autocratic regimes, particularly under the deposed Awami League government, stating that such misuse led to public outrage and immense suffering for many honest officers.
Prof Yunus cautioned law enforcement not to allow themselves to be used by any political force. “If a person comes to power through unfair means, building a just and equitable society becomes impossible,” he warned.
He underscored the importance of a fair and impartial election to prevent future misuse of the police and urged vigilance in the lead-up to the polls so that defeated forces cannot destabilize the country.
Describing the police as friends of the people, he encouraged them to uphold this image despite the challenges involved.
