Home Affairs Adviser Lt Gen (retd) Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury has said police must perform their duties with neutrality centring the upcoming 13th national election.
He made the remarks on Sunday while inaugurating an election training programme at the Bangladesh Police Auditorium in Rajarbagh, Dhaka.
The programme was presided over by Inspector General of Police Baharul Alam, with Chief Adviser’s Special Assistant Md Khoda Baksh Chowdhury and Senior Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs Nasimul Ghani attending as special guests.
The adviser urged law enforcement agencies not to work in favour of any particular political party.
Chowdhury instructed them to ensure transparency in their operations to win public trust. “We must keep ourselves away from political influence and remain calm and patient while handling everything through due legal process,” he said.
He expressed hope that the upcoming election would be held in a peaceful and festive manner, emphasising the need to set a new standard by moving away from the failures of past elections. He also stressed the importance of reducing corruption and drugs in society.
Speaking on Operation Devil Hunt, the home adviser said that although the formal operation was no longer in place, its activities had not ceased.
“Every police station has a list of fascists who are trying to destabilise the country,” he said, calling for lawful action against criminals released on bail. He also directed police to accelerate the recovery of looted, lost, or illegal weapons from stations.
The adviser further ordered a strict halt on drugs, gambling, and unauthorised fairs, and instructed police to stop extortion in transport services and markets.
“Extortionists must be arrested, and we must remain highly alert during the upcoming Durga Puja to ensure smooth celebrations,” he said.
Chief Adviser’s Special Assistant Md Khoda Bakhsh Chowdhury noted that the national election would be the ultimate test for the newly reformed police force after the July–August mass uprising.
Later, the adviser formally inaugurated the training programme, under which 150,000 police personnel will be trained to enhance their skills and capacity for carrying out election duties professionally.
