Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Commissioner Mosleh Uddin Ahmed has said senior police officials will be held responsible if the banned Awami League or its affiliated organisations hold rallies or meetings anywhere in Dhaka.
He made the remarks in an exclusive interview with TIMES at the DMP headquarters.
“If such an incident occurs, the deputy commissioner (DC) of the respective zone and the officer-in-charge (OC) of the concerned police station will be brought under accountability. If their explanations are not satisfactory, departmental disciplinary action will be taken,” he said.
Saying that the Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit is working to prevent the resurgence and activities of extremist organisations, the DMP chief said, “No such destructive activities will be allowed to succeed.”
He also said the Detective Branch (DB) of police is keeping watch to prevent criminal activities by foreign nationals staying illegally in the country.
The DMP commissioner warned that police would respond with force if members of juvenile gangs use weapons.
He said police operations in Dhaka are detaining an average of 25 to 30 juvenile gang members every day.
He added that Mohammadpur has a particularly high number of such gangs, resulting in more arrests from the area, where several gang leaders have already been detained.
The DMP chief said many detainees, after being released on bail through court orders, become involved in criminal activities again.
Seeking active public support to maintain law and order, he said, “Community policing and beat policing are being strengthened further.
Through regular open house days, police are listening to residents, identifying law-and-order issues in each area and developing strategies to address them.”
“Police stations are maintaining communication with guardians in every area and advising them to remain alert and cautious about their children.
“Awareness programmes are also being conducted in educational and religious institutions, alongside discussions with housing committees, and social and cultural organisations, seeking their cooperation in maintaining law and order,” he said.
The DMP chief said search operations against drugs and crime have been increased while police have also launched drives at battery-run auto-rickshaw garages, as many of them have become gathering places for criminals.
Mosleh Uddin said discipline was gradually returning to traffic management in Dhaka, especially due to the installation of artificial intelligence (AI)-based cameras.
