15,851 cops, 4,469 BGB men, 5,551 Ansar personnel recruited in past year: Jahangir

Home Affairs Adviser Lt Gen (retd) Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury has announced that a significant number of personnel have been recruited across various law enforcement agencies under the Ministry of Home Affairs during the interim government's tenure to ensure the election is free, fair, neutral, and secure.

"The interim government has recruited 15,851 police personnel from constables to Sub Inspectors (SIs) in the past one year," he said after coming out of the 12th meeting of the advisory council on law and order at the ministry's office in Dhaka today (18 August).

The interim government has also recruited 4,469 soldiers at Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and 5,551 sepoys in Bangladesh Ansar and VDP in the last one year, he said.

Replying to a query, the newly recruited personnel in the police, BGB and Ansar will play a significant role in holding the upcoming national elections fairly and peacefully, he opined.

Apart from the fresh recruitment in the three forces, some 1,558 personnel were recruited in prisons while 208 in Fire Service and Civil Defence by the interim government.

Replying to a question about measures to stop mob violence, the home adviser said that they are trying to stop mob violence.

"I'm not saying that the mob violence has decreased to zero," he said.

Referring to mob violence in Rangpur, Jahangir said the mob violence has decreased in Dhaka, adding that one or two incidents are now taking place outside Dhaka.

About the suspension of 18 senior police officers including former chief of the Detective Branch (DB) of police Harun-Or-Rashid for their absence in work for long without prior permission of the authorities concerned, the adviser said, "It is an ongoing process."

The home adviser reiterated his commitment that no innocent people will be arrested or harassed in fake cases.

"The responsible people will not be spared in any way," he warned.