Superintendents of Police (SPs) across 13 districts in Dhaka Range have been instructed to deploy their own personal sources in 98 police stations to gather intelligence on criminals, and any police members involved in crime.
Dhaka Range Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Md Iqbal Hossain disclosed these directives during a conversation with TIMES of Bangladesh on Tuesday.
Under this new initiative, individuals from any profession can work as secret informants while maintaining strict confidentiality. Informants will be paid an honourarium from the “source money” allocation, which will be increased if necessary.
These personal sources will report directly to the SPs, following which targeted raids will be launched based on the intelligence.
Addressing issues of discipline, DIG Iqbal Hossain – who was recently promoted to the rank of additional inspector general of police (additional IGP) – noted that many police members remain absent from their workplaces during duty hours to wander outside or go elsewhere.
To curb this, SPs have been directed to conduct sudden roll calls. Additionally, they have been instructed to conduct alarm parades to ensure preparedness for resisting emergency situations.
According to the DIG, these strategies for controlling overall law and order were formulated during a crime conference held on 23 August. At the conference, strict directives were issued to ensure the filling of tenant registration forms is 100 per cent effective.
The DIG also outlined a phased plan to make all districts drug-free through rallies, meetings with civil society, and intelligence-led raids. SPs have been directed to visit educational institutions to mobilise students, teachers, and guardians to speak out against drug abuse.
Moreover, special operations using reserve forces from the range office will be deployed if necessary to prevent juvenile gang activities, child murder and abuse, abduction, and violence against women.
To address administrative backlogs, SPs have been ordered to identify why case investigations have been stuck for years and ensure their swift disposal.
DIG Iqbal Hossain also stated that increasing the number of Grade-1 police posts from three to ten would expand the scope of work and improve the overall quality of public service.
Emphasising the role of public relations in crime prevention, Hossain highlighted the importance of the sentry (the constable on duty) who greets visitors at police stations.
He instructed that sentries must receive proper training to ensure they maintain good behaviour and politeness with the public.
Hossain also called for effective measures, such as community policing meetings and “Open House Day,” to ensure that people can place full confidence in the police force.
