Police must break free from oppression: IGP 

To win people's hearts, Inspector General of Police (IGP) Benazir Ahmed has urged the force to break free from oppression and utilise police's legal capacity. 

"If you want to be people's police, you have to love them first. You have to reach them and sincerely work for them," he told a workshop at the police headquarters on Thursday.

The Bangladesh Police has helped the government ensure social distancing and enforce shutdown since the coronavirus outbreak made inroads in March. During the pandemic-led countrywide shutdown, police distributed relief materials and reached people at their homes with essentials in many places.

Referring to those welfare activities, IGP Benazir Ahmed said, "We stood by the people from the day one of the coronavirus outbreak, braving the risk of infection.

Benazir said police jumped to fight coronavirus without waiting to receive personal protective equipment. Therefore, the infection rate among the frontline Covid-19 fighters was high at the beginning. Till date, 44 policemen from different ranks died from the virus infection in the line of duty.          

"The way police reached the people, stood by them and protected them during the pandemic is undoubtedly a commendable job. Not only in Bangladesh, but people from different parts of the world are also praising the force through social media," said the IGP.

In just three months, police won the people's hearts, he said, adding, "The Liberation War gave police a chance to serve the country. Fifty years later, the virus crisis has brought about the second chance to reach the people."

"What will happen when the pandemic is over? Would we go back to where we had been before the pandemic? No, we will not fall back. Rather, we will go forward," he said.

The IGP said none can buy love, compassion and respect from people; rather it has to be earned.

Reiterating his stance against corruption and drugs, Benazir Ahmed said police must shake off all sorts of misdeeds.  

The Innovation and Good Practice wing of the Police Headquarters organised the workshop which ended Thursday.

The entire force was divided into five clusters and from those 500-field-level policemen, ranging from constable to inspector, gave their opinions on good practices, career, corruption and welfare.          

There were around 25 questioners in the data collection sheet, which would be analysed by the respective section officials. The initiative to take suggestions from the field officials aimed at making police more public-friendly, modern, and time-fitting.  

At the beginning of speech, the IGP expressed deep sympathy to the bereaved police families who lost their members during the fight against the virus.