Police
Police Memorial Day recalls sacrifices of those killed in the line of duty
Senior Secretary of the Public Security division under the Home Ministry Akhter Hossain on Saturday said the police carry out challenging duties like maintaining security of life and protecting property of the people, maintaining law and order, which are very difficult to implement.
The police has been performing those challenging duties properly since if these are not implemented properly, there will be severe chaos in the society and development will be hampered.
READ: 106 policemen died of Covid-19 serving the country: IGP
Akhter Hossain came up with the remarks while addressing a programme, which was organized to mark the Police Memorial Day at Police Staff College Convention Hall at Mirpur in the city on Tuesday.
Inspector General of Police (IGP) Benazir Ahmed presided over the function where welcoming remarks were made by Additional IG (HRM) Md. Mazharul Islam. Additional IGs, heads of various units of the police based in Dhaka, senior police officers and families of police personnel killed in the line of duty were present on the occasion.
Senior Home Secretary said ,”We view any minor incident by the police in a negative light," he said. "Rather, we may think that we can sleep peacefully at night because the police are awake.”
In his speech, the IGP Benazir Ahmed said that Police Memorial Day has been celebrated since 2017. Today we are reunited in that continuity. "In 2021, we lost 348 colleagues, of which 136 lost their lives during on duty," he said.
The IGP said that in times of peace the police are engaged in war. This war is against unrest, against terrorism, against those who want to disrupt the peace and security of the society. "We are engaged in this war for 24 hours. In case of war, the loss is certain. Since we are constantly fighting for state security, social security, we are also sacrificing every year," he added.
"We are trying to establish the Central Police Hospital as a full-fledged hospital. A divisional hospital is being set up in Dhaka," he said.
Police Memorial Day 2022 has been celebrated with due dignity in all metropolitans, range and district units of Bangladesh Police.
READ: Country advancing on back of police performing its duties responsibly
Later, a memorandum of recognition was given to the families of the police personnel who sacrificed their lives in the line of duty at the Police Staff College Convention Hall.
It may be mentioned that out of 138 police personnel who sacrificed their lives in the line of duty in 2021, there is one Additional Superintendent of Police, one Assistant Superintendent of Police, ten Inspectors, 23 Sub-Inspectors, one Sergeant, 19 ASIs, two Naiks and 81 Constables.
Country advancing on back of police performing its duties responsibly
Praising police's activities, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan on Saturday said the country has been advancing forward with breakneck speed as police has been performing its appropriate responsibility in combating militancy, terrorism and everything one after another.
"We have been advancing forward with breakneck speed as police has been performing its appropriate responsibility in combating militancy, terrorism and everything one after another," he said while addressing a special gathering of citizens at Rajarbagh Police Lines on the occasion of 47th founding anniversary of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP).
We have been dealing challenge of preventing militancy, terrorism and many others one after another due to activeness of not only police under the DMP, but also the police across the country, the Home Ministry said.
He said said sustainable peace is needed for keeping sustainable development of the country. And sustainable security is needed to keep the sustainable peace. Police is doing to keep sustainable security, he added.
Praising the role of DMP's police, the Home Minister said the Dhaka city has been turned into a dependable city as members of the DMP have been performing its duties, including ensuring security of VVIPs as well as various programmes, including political and religious properly.
Police are better trained now to maintain law and order: IGP
Inspector General of Police (IGP) Benazir Ahmed on Thursday said the capacity of Bangladesh Police has increased in tackling any challenge to keep law and order.
The IGP came up with the comment while speaking as the chief guest after inspecting the anti-terrorism and hostage rescue exercise of police commando course at APBN and specialized training centre in Khagrachari.
He said police are playing a professional role in ensuring the safety of the people, providing security to their lives and property, maintaining law and order in the country, reducing crime and arresting criminals.
Also read: Bangladesh police will be made worth of a developed country by 2041: IGP
Mentioning the need for training to enhance the skills of the police personnel, the IGP said that such training is very helpful in enhancing the skills of the police personnel.
He said the exercise conducted by the police members today was undoubtedly of international standard. The police chief also mentioned that the skills of the trainers of this course are of international standard.
Arms seized at Ctg port: One held
Police arrested a man in connection with the seizure of arms at Chattogram Airport, from Halishohor in the city early Tuesday.
The arrestee was identified as Majumdar Quamrul Hasan, an officer of Chattogram Tax zone-1 and resident of Agrabad.
Tipped off, a team of police arrested Quamrul from his in-laws house at Khalpar in Halishohor in the dead of night using technology, said assistant commissioner of Chattogram Metropolitan Police, Tarek Aziz.
Earlier on Sunday, two pistol like objects and 60 rounds of bullets were seized at Chattogram port. The seized arms were coming from Ialy under home appliances parcel.
The receiver of the parcel was Quamrul and the sender of the parcel was Rajib Barua.
A case was filed with Double Mooring Police Station.
Canadian police appear to end protesters’ siege of Ottawa
Hundreds of police in riot gear swept through Canada’s capital Saturday, retaking control of the streets around the Parliament buildings and appearing to end the siege of Ottawa after three weeks of protests.
Protesters, angry over the country’s COVID-19 restrictions and with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, retreated from the largest police operation in the country’s history, with police arresting or driving out demonstrators and towing away their trucks.
In Ottawa, Interim Police Chief Steve Bell said that some smaller protests continued but “this unlawful occupation is over. We will continue with our mission until it is complete.”
While some protesters vowed to stay on Ottawa’s streets, one organizer told reporters they had “decided to peacefully withdraw.”
“We will simply regroup as a grassroots movement,” Tom Marazzo said at a press conference.
READ: Canadian police arrest 2 leaders of protesting truckers
Police had been brought in from across the country to help in the clearance operation, Bell said, adding that 170 people were arrested Friday and Saturday and multiple investigations had been launched because of weapons seizures.
“We’re not going anywhere until you have your streets back,” he said at a press conference, vowing to go after protesters who don’t disperse with “financial sanctions and criminal charges.”By early Saturday afternoon, protesters were gone from the street in front of Parliament Hill, the collection of government offices that includes the Parliament buildings, which had the heart of the protests. It had been occupied by protesters and their trucks since late last month, turning into a carnival on weekends.
“They are trying to push us all away,” said one protester, Jeremy Glass of Shelburne, Ontario, as authorities forced the crowds to move further from the Parliament buildings. “The main camp is seized now. We’re no longer in possession of it.”
Police said protesters remained “aggressive and assaultive” and that pepper spray had been used to protect officers. Authorities also said children had been brought right to the police lines, saying it was “putting the children at risk.”
Canadian authorities also announced they had used emergency powers to seize 76 bank accounts connected to protesters, totaling roughly $3.2 million ($2.5 million U.S.).
On Saturday, they also closed a bridge into the nation’s capital from Quebec to prevent a renewed influx of protesters.
Around midday, protest organizers said they had ordered truckers to move away from Parliament Hill, decrying the police’s actions as “abuses of power.”
“To move the trucks will require time,” organizers said in a statement. “We hope that (police) will show judicious restraint.”
Earlier, Ottawa police addressed the protesters in a tweet: “We told you to leave. We gave you time to leave. We were slow and methodical, yet you were assaultive and aggressive with officers and the horses. Based on your behavior, we are responding by including helmets and batons for our safety.”
Police said one protester launched a gas canister and was arrested as police advanced.
Earlier, Bell said most of the arrests were for mischief charges and that no protesters had been hurt. One officer had a minor injury, he said.
Those arrested included four protest leaders. One received bail while the others remained jailed.
Tow truck operators wearing neon-green ski masks, with their companies’ decals taped over on their trucks to conceal their identities, arrived under police escort and started removing hundreds of big rigs, campers and other vehicles parked shoulder to shoulder near Parliament. Police smashed through the door of at least one camper Friday before hauling it away.
The crackdown on the self-styled Freedom Convoy began Friday morning, when hundreds of police, some in riot gear and some carrying automatic weapons, descended into the protest zone and began leading demonstrators away in handcuffs through the snowy streets as holdout truckers blared their horns.
READ: Canadian judge orders an end to blockade at border bridge
The capital and its paralyzed streets represented the movement’s last major stronghold after weeks of demonstrations and blockades that shut down border crossings into the U.S. and created one of the most serious tests yet for Trudeau. They also shook Canada’s reputation for civility, with some blaming America’s influence.
The Freedom Convoy demonstrations initially focused on Canada’s vaccine requirement for truckers entering the country but soon morphed into a broad attack on COVID-19 precautions and Trudeau’s government.
Ottawa residents complained of being harassed and intimidated by the truckers and obtained a court injunction to stop their incessant honking.
Trudeau portrayed the protesters as members of a “fringe” element. Canadians have largely embraced the country’s COVID-19 restrictions, with the vast majority vaccinated, including an estimated 90% of the nation’s truckers. Some of the vaccine and mask mandates imposed by the provinces are already falling away rapidly.
The biggest border blockade, at the Ambassador Bridge between Windsor, Ontario, and Detroit, disrupted the flow of auto parts between the two countries and forced the industry to curtail production. Authorities lifted the siege last weekend after arresting dozens of protesters.
But even as things were growing calmer in Ottawa, the Canadian border agency warned that operations at a key truck crossing from western Canada into the United States had been slowed by protesters, advising travelers to find a different route. The crossing near the town of Surrey remained open, officials said, but further details were not available.
The protests have been cheered on and received donations from conservatives in the U.S.
Ottawa crackdown: police arrest 100 after 3-week protest
Police arrested scores of demonstrators and towed away vehicles Friday in Canada’s besieged capital, and a stream of trucks started leaving under the pressure, raising authorities’ hopes for an end to the three-week protest against the country’s COVID-19 restrictions.
By evening, at least 100 people had been arrested, mostly on mischief charges, and nearly two dozen vehicles had been towed, including all of those blocking one of the city’s major streets, authorities said. One officer had a minor injury, but no protesters were hurt, interim Ottawa Police Chief Steve Bell said.
Police “continue to push forward to take control of our streets,” he said, adding: “We will work day and night until this is completed.”
Those arrested included four protest leaders. One received bail while the others remained jailed.
The crackdown on the self-styled Freedom Convoy began in the morning, when hundreds of police, some in riot gear and some carrying automatic weapons, descended into the protest zone and began leading demonstrators away in handcuffs through the snowy streets as holdout truckers blared their horns.
Also read: Ottawa declares state of emergency over COVID-19 protests
Tow truck operators — wearing neon-green ski masks, with their companies’ decals taped over on their trucks to conceal their identities — arrived under police escort and started removing the hundreds of big rigs, campers and other vehicles parked shoulder-to-shoulder near Parliament. Police smashed through the door of at least one RV camper before hauling it away.
Scuffles broke out in places, and police repeatedly went nose-to-nose with the protesters and pushed the crowd back amid cries of “Freedom!” and the singing of the national anthem, “O Canada.” Later police on horses were used to push back the crowd for a time.
Police said late in the afternoon that protesters had assaulted officers and tried to take their weapons. Some began dismantling equipment at a stage where they had played music for weeks, saying they didn’t want it to get destroyed.
Many protesters stood their ground in the face of one of the biggest police enforcement actions in Canada’s history, with officers drawn from around the country.
“Freedom was never free,” said trucker Kevin Homaund, of Montreal. “So what if they put the handcuffs on us and they put us in jail?”
Also read: Canadian police arrest 2 leaders of protesting truckers
But a steady procession of trucks began leaving Parliament Hill in the afternoon.
“There are indications we are now starting to see progress,” Ontario Premier Doug Ford said.
Police would not disclose how many protesters or vehicles remained downtown. All indications were that police would be working into the weekend to clear the area.
The capital and its paralyzed streets represented the movement’s last stronghold after weeks of demonstrations and blockades that shut down border crossings into the U.S. and created one of the most serious tests yet for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. They also shook Canada’s reputation for civility, with some blaming America’s influence.
Authorities had hesitated to move against the protests, in part because of fears of violence. The demonstrations have drawn right-wing extremists and veterans, some of them armed.
With police and the government facing accusations that they let the protests get out of hand, Trudeau on Monday invoked Canada’s Emergencies Act. That gave law enforcement extraordinary authority to declare the blockades illegal, tow away trucks, arrest the drivers, suspend their licenses and freeze their bank accounts.
Ottawa police made their first move to end the occupation late Thursday with the arrest of two key protest leaders. They also sealed off much of the downtown area to outsiders to prevent them from coming to the aid of the protesters.
The emergency act enabled law enforcement authorities to compel tow truck companies to assist. Ottawa police said earlier that they couldn’t find tow truck drivers willing to help because they either sympathized with the movement or feared retaliation.
As police worked to dismantle the siege, Pat King, one of the protest leaders, told truckers, “Please stay peaceful,” while also threatening the livelihoods of the tow truck operators.
“You are committing career suicide,” King warned on Facebook. “We know where the trucks came from.”
King himself was later arrested by officers who surrounded him in his car.
Ottawa police had made it clear for days that they were preparing to retake the streets. On Friday, even as the operation was underway, police issued another round of warnings via social media and loudspeaker, offering protesters one more chance to leave and avoid arrest.
Some locked arms instead as officers formed a line to push them back.
Dan Holland, a protester from London Ontario, packed up his car as police closed in. “I don’t want to get beat up by this police,” he said.
Children bundled up in coats and hats stood amid the crowd. Police said the protesters had put the youngsters in the middle in the confrontation.
The Freedom Convoy demonstrations initially focused on Canada’s vaccine requirement for truckers entering the country but soon morphed into a broad attack on COVID-19 precautions and Trudeau’s government.
Ottawa residents complained of being harassed and intimidated by the truckers and obtained a court injunction to stop their incessant honking.
Trudeau portrayed the protesters as members of a “fringe” element. Canadians have largely embraced the country’s COVID-19 restrictions, with the vast majority vaccinated, including an estimated 90% of the nation’s truckers. Some of the vaccine and mask mandates imposed by the provinces are already falling away rapidly.
The biggest border blockade, at the Ambassador Bridge between Windsor, Ontario, and Detroit, disrupted the flow of auto parts between the two countries and forced the industry to curtail production. Authorities lifted the siege last weekend after arresting dozens of protesters.
The final border blockade, in Manitoba, across from North Dakota, ended peacefully on Wednesday.
The protests have been cheered on and received donations from conservatives in the U.S.
Another 140-strong contingent of Police reaches Mali
A total of 140 members of Bangladesh Police reached Mali on Monday to join the United Nations (UN) Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA).
The police team left Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport here for Bamako, the capital city of West African country Mali, by a chartered aircraft of Biman Bangladesh Airlines on Sunday night, said AIG (Media) of the Police Headquarters Md Kamuzzaman on Monday afternoon.
Among the police members, Commander Hasan Md Shawkat Ali has been leading 70 members of Bangladesh Formed Police Unit (BANFPU-1 under 8th rotation) and Deputy Commander rest 70 members of BANFPU-2 team under 4th rotation.
It may be mentioned that earlier on January 13 another 140-member contingent had already reached in Mali as advance team.
Deputy Inspector General of Police Md Haider Ali Khan and officers of the UN desk and operations wing gave them a farewell at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport.
READ: FPU of Bangladesh Police reaches Kinshasa
Since 2013, members of the Bangladesh Formed Police Unit (BANFPU) -1 have been serving in the UN peacekeeping mission in Mali's Bamako with professionalism.
Since 2017, the BANFPU-2, MINUSMA, Mali unit has been operating with great reputation in the Gundam area of the Timbuktu region in the heart of the Sahara Desert in northern Mali.
Due to the extremely difficult geographical location and adverse weather conditions, the members of Bangladesh Police have brightened the image of the country in the international arena by performing their duties with utmost courage and professionalism.
According to the Centre for Research Information (CRI), Bangladesh stepped into the family of "Blue Helmets" through participation in UNIIMOG (Iraq-Iran) in 1988 with 15 military observers from Bangladesh Army.
Police being built as a world-class force: Home Minister
Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan said that the Bangladesh Police are being developed as a world-class force and the efforts will continue.The minister said this while addressing as the chief guest at an exchange meeting with senior police officials at Bangladesh Police Auditorium in Rajarbagh, Dhaka on Thursday night at the concluding session of the 5th day of Police Week 2022.He said the police are becoming the people's police day by day.
Read:Police to use AI in modernising to serve developed country by 2041
"Apart from the training, Bangladesh Police stands by the people in all possible sectors, the way the police have served the people during the Covid pandemic is truly unprecedented."We want to make Bangladesh Police a world class police force," he said.The minister said that the way terrorism emerged in the country in the recent past, the police have also performed their duty at the risk of their lives.
“You have seen the killings and terrorism carried out in the country in the name of anti-independence group movement in 2013,” he said.Mentioning that Bangladesh Police has become a 'role model' in suppressing militants, the Home Minister said that the country has become militant-free as a result of sincere efforts of police.In order to increase the capacity of the police, various specialized units including Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC), Anti -Terrorism Unit (ATU) has been set up, he added.
Read:Bangladesh police will be made worth of a developed country by 2041: IGP "The members of the police force will perform their duty with more patriotism in the future as they are doing now", the minister hoped."The logical demands of the police officers that we can meet from our ministry will be met soon. We will talk to the prime minister about the demands that need to be consulted", he concluded.
Woman’s body recovered from river in Chuadanga
Police have recovered the decomposed body of a woman from Mathabhanga river in Alamdanga upazila of Chuadanga on Monday afternoon.
The deceased was identified as Poppy Khatun, 26, wife of Tuhin of Nagarboalia village in Bhangbaria union of Alamdanga upazila and daughter of Bhola Sheikh of Islampara in Belgachi village of the same upazila.
The body was recovered from Mathabhanga river at Karigarpara in Bhangbaria village of the upazila on Monday (January 24) afternoon.
According to police, some women from the area found the body when they went down to bathe in the Mathabhanga river on Monday afternoon and informed the police.
Deceased’s father Bhola Sheikh said six days ago, her in-laws, including her husband Tuhin informed him that Poppy had escaped with a man.
But he suspects that her husband has killed Poppy as she was often beaten and tortured there.
Alamdanga police inspector Tuhinuzzaman Khan said police had recovered the body six days after she went missing. Initially, it was thought that she had been murdered.
The body was sent to Sadar Hospital for autopsy, he said.
Bangladesh police will be made worth of a developed country by 2041: IGP
Inspector General of Police Benazir Ahmed on Monday said a strategic plan has been taken up to upgrade Bangladesh Police suitable for a developed country by 2041.
He warned the members of police to stay away from any illegal activity.
“If any police personnel are found involved in any illegal activity, it won’t be tolerated and we do not want to be the news for our bad role," he said.
READ: IGP urges police officials to work for people’s welfare
The IGP was speaking on the second of ‘Police Week’ at Rajarbagh Police Lines as the chief guest.
“Bangladesh Police are determined to provide service to the people of the country and we are working to develop the quality of the organisation. Our tagline should be ‘not a job, only service,” he said.
READ: 7 police officers promoted to additional IGP
Talking about drug and militancy issues, Benazir said “The prime minister has announced a zero-tolerance policy about militants, drug and militancy. We will implement the policy.”