President Abdul Hamid on Tuesday asked the police force to launch a cleansing campaign to get rid of its corrupt members and improve its service to the society.

He made the call virtually from Bangabhaban while exchanging views with high police officials on the occasion of Police Week -2022.

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The officials were connected from the auditorium of Rajarbagh Police Lines in the capital.

Describing drug peddling as a social disorder the president said police must be more active in eliminating the menance.

"If necessary, strict action should be taken against the corrupt members of the force through cleansing campaign," he said.

He said there are frequent reports in the media that some unscrupulous employees of various government departments, including the police, are involved in this crime, which is very unwelcome and sad.

Saying that a section of the youth of the country is involved in drug related crimes, Hamid said young people need to be protected from the scourge of drugs.

He said people come to the police to get legal services when they are in danger. 

"You will listen carefully to the problems and grievances of these help-seeking people and never hesitate to give them legal services sincerely," he said.

Hamid said cybercriminals are committing crimes using domestic, regional and international networks and various apps, which has become a challenge for the law enforcement agencies to suppress. 

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He stressed on increasing the capacity of the police to deal with cybercrime by developing a trained and skilled manpower with modern technology of information technology.

He also asked police members to be equipped with the latest technology to adapt to the challenges of the future.

Saying that preventing militancy has been praised worldwide as one of the major achievements of the police, Hamid said the involvement of the mass people in fighting militancy is necessary alongside raising public awareness against it.

Urging police to make sure that service seekers are not harassed, the president said  "Remember, during the first police week of independent Bangladesh, on 15 January 1975, at the Rajarbagh Police Lines, Bangabandhu said to the police personnel, 'You are the police of the people'.

"You will stand by the people as 'friends', be humane police and fulfil your responsibilities by providing services to the people and gaining their trust in order to be a real police force," he said.