Police to be reformed to make it time-befitting, pro-people: Commission chairman

The police reform commission will prepare suggestions that include bringing amendments to 150-year-old police laws to reform the Bangladesh Police to make it a time-befitting, pro-people and service-oriented force, Commission Chairman Safar Raz Hossain has said.

"We have to build a good police force for a democratic country and its main task will be to serve the masses," he said while speaking to journalists at the home ministry today.

He further said they would include the best practices in the police reform proposals being followed by police in different democratic countries.

"We have an idea about how the police works in different democratic countries. We would try to include the best practices of those countries in the police reform proposals," he said.

Replying to a query whether they could submit the proposals within a three-month timeframe, Safar Raz Hossain said they would try to accomplish their tasks within the stipulated time.

"We are working five days a week in the Home Ministry to finalise the proposals in a stipulated time," he said. He said the Bangladesh Police have been running by a 150-year-old law, the Police Act 1861 and Police Regulations, Bengal, 1943.

Replying to a question, Home Adviser Lt Gen (retd) Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury said they would extend all possible support to reform the police.