Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan on Thursday said that Bangladesh police have opened a new chapter with their valiant work during the Covid pandemic.

The Home Minister said the police were one of the frontline workers who worked alongside doctors during the pandemic. “The police have done everything necessary for the welfare of the country and the people without caring about themselves.”

The Home Minister made this remark at the official unveiling ceremony of ‘Corona Insignia’ at the Bangladesh Police Auditorium in the capital's Rajarbagh on Thursday.

Corona Insignia was presented in recognition of the work of Bangladesh Police personnel serving as frontliners to fight Covid-19.

After the Corona Insignia was officially unveiled, the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Benazir Ahmed put the insignia badge on Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal.

The Home Minister later put on the corona insignia badge on the IGP, additional IGs and police members one by one.

Addressing the police members, the Home Minister said, "You have proved once again that the police stand by the people and will continue to stand by them in the future."

“You have seen how Corona has defeated us," he said. “Under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister, the police have made arrangements for lockdown, implementation of quarantine in the country, transport patients to hospitals, delivering food to homes, burying and burying the deceased, and even harvesting farmers' paddy.”

Referring to the unique contribution of the Central Police Hospital in dealing with Covid patients, the Home Minister said the police hospital has provided medical services not only to the police members but also to the common people of different classes and professions.

Meanwhile, IGP Benazir Ahmed said that 107 members of Bangladesh Police have sacrificed their lives for the welfare of the country and the people during this pandemic. So far, more than 26,000 policemen have been infected with Covid-19 and engaged themselves again for the people’s service after recovery.

He said Bangladesh Police has been working as a frontline fighter since the first day of Covid infection in Bangladesh.

In the first phase of Pandemic, about 700-800 policemen were infected with Covid-19.

“We have created Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for Bangladesh Police by meeting the developed and police liaison officers of various embassies in Bangladesh to deal with the pandemic,” said IGP.

The IGP further said, “We have first used ‘Ivermectin’, an antiparasitic medication to kill parasites, in a police hospital. Police hospitals have conducted research on covid treatment with foreign hospitals. We have also first applied plasma therapy.”

At the beginning of the ceremony, a minute's silence was observed in honor of the memory of the policemen who sacrificed their lives during the pandemic. Later, a documentary on the unique contribution of the police was shown.

Additional IG (F&L) SM Ruhul Amin, Additional IG (A&I) Md Moinur Rahman Chowdhury, DMP Commissioner Md Shafiqul Islam, Rab Director General Chowdhury Abdullah Al Mamun, Additional IGs, Heads of various units of Dhaka Police, senior police officers and members of police were present at the event.