Law enforcers' activities to increase from this evening: Home adviser
"You will see law enforcers engaging in more activities from tonight. The work will commence from this evening onwards. You will notice it [the difference] little by little," he said
Law enforcers will engage in increased activities from this evening (24 February) to improve the law-and-order situation, Home Affairs Adviser Lt Gen (retd) Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury said today.
Speaking to reporters after a meeting of the core committee on law and order this afternoon, he said, "You will see law enforcers engaging in more activities from tonight. The work will commence from this evening onwards. You will notice it [the difference] little by little."
The advisor said law enforcers will increase patrols in crime-prone areas, while check posts will be set up and searches will be carried out.
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The core committee's meeting is held every week on the overall law and order situation, attended by the heads and senior officers of various forces. However, today's meeting was exceptional after last night's development.
Last night, the home adviser blamed the Awami League and its cohorts for the ongoing volatile law-and-order situation in the country. A group of protesting Dhaka University students issued an ultimatum to the adviser to resign within today.
Protesters also staged demonstrations today demanding resignation of the home adviser due to the increase in criminal incidents such as robbery, kidnapping, and rape across the country.
Speaking to reporters, the adviser said, "The law and order situation is satisfactory. But there is room for improvement. Law enforcers have been given guidelines in this regard."
Last night, a gold trader was shot and stabbed by an unidentified group of armed men in front of his residence in the capital's Banasree area.
"It used to take two days to find out about an incident like yesterday's Banasree attack. Now people get to know about such incidents immediately. That is why people think that the law and order situation has deteriorated significantly. Such minor incidents have happened before. Some happened two days ago. Steps are being taken to prevent it from happening in the future," the adviser said.
Jahangir further said that Operation Devil Hunt has been undertaken so that action can be taken quickly if such incidents occur.
"In the incident that took place in Rajshahi, three people were arrested immediately. And the OCs who delayed taking the case have been brought under the law. They have been suspended. If it was any other time, it would not have happened so quickly."
In response to a reporter's question regarding calls for his resignation, Jahangir said, "You are saying resignation but my burial and janaza [funeral] have been held. The result of working in the Home Ministry is that I am getting the 'sawab' of a janaza while I am still alive."
Asked whether police inaction is causing the law and order situation to deteriorate, he said, "The police are better now than they were when I took charge. But there is scope to increase their activities. The police are trying. Their commandos are trying. It will slowly get better."
The advisor also said, "People need to change their mindset. Earlier, when someone was in danger, others around them would run and help. Now people take pictures. People need to change their mindset. When one person is in danger, the other has to come forward."
