‘No leniency based on political identity, whoever the criminal’
Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmad has declared that no one will be spared on the basis of their political identity or party affiliation. “A criminal is a criminal.
There is no scope to show leniency based on political affiliation or identity. Whoever the criminal may be, strict legal action will be taken against them,” he said.
He made these remarks as the chief guest at a discussion meeting on “The Overall Law and Order Situation and Development in the District,” organised by the district administration at Sylhet Circuit House auditorium on Tuesday.
At the meeting, he directed that impartial lists be compiled of terrorists, extortionists, drug dealers, and smugglers in the Sylhet region. He said that the identities of criminals are generally well known locally, and cautioned that no innocent person should be included in the lists for political purposes – nor should any genuine criminal be left out for political reasons.
He said he expects to see visible results from these directives within the next one month and instructed the responsible officers to take the necessary steps.
The minister noted that a “reward and punishment policy” has been introduced in the police force, under which personnel will be evaluated based on their success or failure in carrying out their duties. He also directed Sylhet Range Police and Sylhet Metropolitan Police (SMP) to implement these instructions strictly.
On Post-Movement Cases
Addressing cases filed after the anti-discrimination movement, the minister said that in many instances, complaints have indiscriminately named 500, 1,000, or even 2,000 people as accused. In some cases, he noted, third parties with their own interests have filed cases even when the actual victim’s family was not the complainant, and some cases appear to have been filed to harass or extort businesses.
He warned that this risks denying justice to genuine victims and the families of those who were killed.
Citing the example of Wasim Akram, described as the first martyr of Chattogram, he said that although the family was unable to file the case themselves, a politically affiliated individual filed it as complainant, naming nearly 1,500 people as accused – when video footage and other evidence could have been used to identify those actually involved.
In light of this, he directed that such cases in the Sylhet Range and Sylhet Metropolitan area be reviewed. He instructed that innocent people facing unwarranted harassment be discharged from cases under Section 173 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, while ensuring that no genuine perpetrator or instigator escapes accountability.
He also warned that no lobbying, backroom dealings, or unethical transactions should take place in this process.
