Police must serve people, not political parties: Salahuddin

Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed on Sunday said the police must serve the people rather than any political party, reaffirming the government's commitment to building a modern, professional and politically neutral police force.

Speaking at the closing parade of the first-stage training of the 27th BCS (Police) batch at the Bangladesh Police Academy in Sarda, Rajshahi, he said the government had taken steps to restore the morale of the force, which he claimed had been damaged by excessive politicisation under the previous regime.

He said a strict system of rewards and punishments based on honesty and discipline had been introduced to strengthen professionalism. Police personnel demonstrating bravery and good performance would be rewarded, while those involved in crimes or disciplinary violations would face action. Congratulating the newly trained Assistant Superintendents of Police (ASPs), Salahuddin said they were beginning their careers at a historic moment and urged them to ensure equal treatment for all citizens, regardless of social or economic status.

He described discipline, the chain of command, loyalty and unity as the core strengths of the police and called on the new officers to build expertise in cyber security and criminal investigation to meet emerging challenges.

Reiterating the government's zero-tolerance policy against corruption, the minister urged the officers to discharge their duties with honesty, integrity and professionalism.

He expressed hope that the 27th BCS (Police) officers would strengthen the force with the knowledge and experience they had gained and serve the people in building a peaceful, democratic and developed Bangladesh.

The minister later inspected the parade, received the salute and distributed awards among the best-performing trainees.

Trainee ASP Dr Md Nurul Huda Bhuiyan was named the best probationer and secured the highest overall position. Trainee ASP ABM Mamun received the best shooter award, while Abu Numan Mohammad Khairul Islam won the best academic award.

A total of 58 officers-including 57 from the 27th BCS (Police) first stage and one from the 28th BCS (Police) batch-formally joined active police service through the graduation parade.

Speaking to reporters after the event, Salahuddin said the explosive-like objects recently recovered in Ashulia and Motijheel had been safely deactivated by the Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit and the Dhaka Metropolitan Police bomb disposal team.