PM asks police to earn people's confidence, trust

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today asked police to achieve people's confidence through humanitarian works as she inaugurated the "Service Desk" at each police station and police housing scheme for homeless people.

"Bangladesh police will be people's servants and will acquire their trust and confidence. People will have to be rendered services in such a way that they always have confidence in getting justice whenever they go to police," she said.

The premier said this while virtually opening the two humanitarian initiatives of police from her official Ganabhaban residence here marking the birth centenary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

The programme was held at Dhaka Metropolitan Police Lines, Rajarbagh, Dhaka, while all the police stations, police ranges and police lines were connected to it.

Inaugurating the "Service Desk" at all 659 police stations across the country for women, children, elderly and disabled people and handing over 400 houses built by police for homeless, she thanked the law enforcement agency for the humanitarian initiatives.

"Today is a special day as the "Service Desk" at each police station was opened across the country for women, children, elderly and differently-able people and houses built by the police were provided to homeless families," she said.

The premier asked the police personnel to work with honesty, urging them to always stand beside the people and work for their welfare and reach the services at their doorsteps as her government is working to do it.

"You have stood beside the people and always stay beside them and work for their welfare," she said.

The prime minister also asked the police force to work for ensuring the rights of people who are lagging behind and being deprived of getting services and to stand beside them as the government wants to make overall development of the society.

She said her government is working to make the police force a specialised one and provide every possible advantage so that the services of police would reach the people's doorsteps.

Referring to Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's remark that police should be pro-people, the premier said the two humanitarian initiatives are police's pro-people work.

Sheikh Hasina also exchanged views with some service receivers from the service desk, women police personnel who are providing the service and beneficiary people who got the police houses, connected remotely from different parts of the country including Chattogram, Peerganj of Rangpur and Khulna.

Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan and Senior Secretary of Public Security Division at Home Ministry Md. Akhter Hossain spoke on the occasion while Inspector General of Police (IGP) Dr Benazir Ahmed gave the welcome address.

An audio-visual documentary on two humanitarian initiatives of the Bangladesh Police was screened at the function.

For opening the "Service Desk", a separate room has been arranged at each of the police stations.

A specially trained woman sub-inspector will lead the desk with other skilled female officers.

The desks are also entrusted with informing visitors about other government services and providing legal aid to victims who are financially insolvent.

Police are set to build one house in 520 police stations each across the country for the homeless people. In the first phase, the police distributed 400 houses.

The houses which were built with standard modern construction materials are earthquake and hot resistance.