Inspector General of Police (IGP) Bangladesh, Mohammad Baharul Alam has said that the upcoming national election will be a major challenge for the Bangladesh Police, but the force is fully prepared to face it.

The upcoming election is both a test and an opportunity for us. In the past, elections have sometimes created a negative perception about police in the public mind. This election gives us a chance to change that image by earning people’s trust through professionalism and service,” said the IGP.

He made the remarks while addressing a special crime review meeting held at the Hall of Pride in the Police Headquarters on Monday afternoon.

Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Commissioner Sheikh Mohammad Sajjat Ali, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) Director General AKM Shahidur Rahman, Special Branch (SB) Chief Mohammad Golam Rasul, Additional IGPs, heads of various Dhaka-based police units, all police commissioners and range DIGs attended the meeting. All district superintendents of police (SPs) joined virtually.

At the meeting, Additional IGP (Crime and Operations) Khondker Rafiqul Islam presented an overview of the country’s overall law and order situation and crime trends.

The IGP directed law enforcement to intensify efforts to recover looted or missing firearms ahead of the national polls, emphasizing the importance of intelligence gathering in this regard. He also instructed officers to raise awareness about the government-declared reward for recovering illegal weapons.

He further ordered unit heads to ensure the ongoing election-related police training programs are conducted efficiently and thoroughly.

Emphasizing service transparency, the police chief urged SPs to ensure timely issuance of police clearance certificates without any harassment.

The IGP also instructed field-level officers to file cases based on complaints received by the commission on enforced disappearances.

In addition, he ordered investigators to give special attention to cases linked with the anti-discrimination movement and to improve the overall quality of investigations.

During the meeting, police officials present  both in person and online discussed a range of administrative and operational issues with the IGP.