‘Police labelled as fascist for using force, weak for not doing so’

KHULNA, Oct 24: Inspector General of Police (IGP) Md Ali Hossain Fakir on Saturday said police are labelled fascist when they use force to maintain law and order, while people consider them weak when they refrain from using force.

“Over the past 17 years, a distance has developed between police and the public. Drugs have been normalised in society. Police are working to address this situation,” he said.

The IGP made the remarks while talking to journalists after a public gathering on community policing in Khulna Division at Boyra Police Lines in Khulna.

He said a legal framework was being developed with approval from the ministries of home affairs and finance to make law enforcement agencies more effective. Under the proposed framework, community policing would operate as a branch of the police.

Fakir also said joint drives are underway across the country to curb juvenile gangs, extortion and drug-related activities.

Besides, he said, an initiative had been taken to enact a new law empowering police to file cases on their own initiative over allegations of extortion, even without complaints from the public.

High officials including Khulna Range DIG, Khulna Metropolitan Police Commissioner, Superintendent of Police, were present during the press briefing.