‘Police should serve law, not any party’

Police must never again be used by any fascist or autocratic force against the freedom of the country and its people, Prime Minister and BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman said on Sunday as he joined Police Week 2026, marking the return of a BNP-led government chief to the annual police programme after nearly two decades.

The last BNP-led government chief guest at Police Week was then Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia, who inaugurated Police Week-2006 at Rajarbagh Police Lines in Dhaka on January 4, 2006.

Tarique Rahman’s participation in this year’s event comes 20 years later, making the occasion politically and administratively significant.

Speaking at the Welfare Parade organised at Rajarbagh Police Lines Auditorium in the capital, the Prime Minister said no fascism or autocracy should ever again be able to use police members against the freedom of the country and its people.

He said the police must not be loyal to any political party and should instead be governed by the country’s existing laws.

He also stressed the need to build a relationship of trust between the people and the police, saying crime control would become easier if such trust is established.

Tarique Rahman said a modern, humane, efficient and technology-capable police force is essential to ensure the services expected by the people.

He added that the reasonable demands and expectations of police members would be considered positively.

Addressing the police members, the BNP Chairman said, you will try with everything within your ability and capacity to ensure the safety of the lives and property of the people.

That is the government’s expectation from you.

The Prime Minister praised the role of the police in the national election held on February 12.

He said, by fulfilling duties in a free, fair and neutral election, it has been proven that the police can carry out their duties impartially if they choose to.

At the same time, Tarique Rahman said, in the past the people of the country have seen a different image of the police.

Let it be the pledge of Police Week that Bangladesh never returns to fascist rule again.

Having passed through that dark time, the time has now come to move forward anew.

The job of the police is to suppress the wicked and nurture the righteous.

It is the responsibility of the police to ensure that ordinary people, upon going to a police station, can feel at least some sense of ownership over the state.

He referred to the police as the government’s ‘ambassador’ at the grassroots level.

He said, the police will not be loyal to any party, but will be governed according to the law.

He also spoke of building police stations in such a way that any individual can fearlessly file a complaint without any recommendation or intermediary, and also receive remedy.

Mentioning the government’s firm stance against drugs, terrorism and corruption, the Prime Minister said, there are various types of criminal tendencies in society including child marriage, violence against women and children, theft and robbery, organised crime, juvenile gangs, financial fraud and many others.

Ordinary people are constantly falling victim to these crimes.

There is also public concern about drugs and online gambling in the country.

Therefore, the police must carry out activities to control drugs by targeting ‘drug suppliers and the source of drugs’ through strict enforcement of the law.

The Prime Minister said, “In order to face the multidimensional challenges arising in the context of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, it has become essential to further expand the establishment of cyber police and the integrated and effective use of emerging technologies including artificial intelligence (AI) and big data analysis.

Towards this end, the government is firmly committed to building a modern technology-dependent policing system.”

Pledging to protect human rights and ensure the rule of law, the Prime Minister said, enforced disappearances, abductions or extrajudicial activities are in no way acceptable.

Protecting every citizen’s rights is the moral and constitutional responsibility of the police.

Noting that the government will never step back from implementing its pledges made to the people, the Prime Minister said, “The current government had to take on the responsibility of running the state amid a weak governance structure ravaged by corruption and misrule, a deteriorating law and order situation, and a fragile economic condition.

Within weeks of taking on the responsibility of governance, we had to face a global war situation.

In such a reality, it is not possible for us to fulfill all your expectations within a few weeks or a few months.

But we will never step back from implementing each and every pledge gradually.”

Tarique Rahman spoke of giving priority to merit, qualification, efficiency and honesty in transfers, promotions and recruitment of police.

He said, resolving the housing crisis of police members, medical services, ration and increasing risk allowance are under the government’s active consideration.

The role of female police members in United Nations peacekeeping missions has also been internationally praised.

The Prime Minister also remarked that humane treatment of the police is expected not only abroad but also with the people of the country.

Towards the end, the Prime Minister said, humanity, justice and ethics are a greater force than the power of weapons. A prosperous, self-reliant, democratic, safe and humane.

Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed, Senior Secretary of the Home Ministry Manzur Morshed Chowdhury, Inspector General of Police Md Ali Hossain Fakir and other senior officials were present at the programme.

Police members from across the country also joined online, while members of different ranks placed their demands before the Prime Minister.