Dhaka DC moves to apply Section 110 to curb crime, urges citizens to report habitual offenders

Dhaka Deputy Commissioner (DC) Tanvir Ahmed today (5 October) announced that Section 110 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898, will be enforced to maintain law and order and prevent crime in the district.

In a statement to the media, the DC said the provision will be implemented to bring notorious and habitual offenders under control and urged the public to share information about individuals who pose a threat to society.

Section 110 of the Code of Criminal Procedure is a preventive or deterrent legal provision. Its primary objective is not to punish habitual offenders for a specific crime but to prevent them from committing future offenses by requiring them to sign a bond of good behavior.

Under this section, action can be taken against habitual thieves, robbers, dacoits, kidnappers, extortionists, and those who create terror in society. Upon sufficient evidence, a magistrate may order the accused to execute a peace bond for up to three years.

"Although this provision is rarely applied, the Dhaka district administration will now enforce it as needed to prevent crimes," the DC said.

"If citizens have information about notorious or habitual offenders in their areas, they may share their names, addresses, and details of their misconduct with me [the deputy commissioner] or the additional district magistrate," he said.

According to the Dhaka District Administration, many notorious criminals or local extortionists often evade justice due to a lack of specific evidence, even though residents are aware of their misdeeds.

By applying Section 110, the authorities hope to control the movements of identified criminals, extortionists, and habitual criminals. The initiative will function as a preventive measure rather than a reactive one.