Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday asked members of the police force to attach the highest importance to basic rights, human rights and rule of law while discharging their professional duties.

“I hope that during the professional duties, police force will give highest importance to people’s basic rights, human rights and rule of law,” she said.

The Prime Minister said this while addressing the training completion programme of 37th BCS (police cadre) at Bangladesh Police Academy, Sarda in Rajshahi virtually from her official residence Ganobhaban.

She said that the government will ensure peace and security of the people by establishing the rule of law and strengthening democracy.

“Remember that we mostly need to establish rule of law, serve the people and develop the people’s living standard,” she said.

In this connection, she asked the police personnel to gain people’s confidence, trust and love.

“And if you can gain people’s love, confidence and trust, the number of police force won’t matter. It’ll be possible to contain any sort of crime with the assistance of the people. You have to prepare (yourselves) that way and we want that,” she said.

Talking about the increasing number of cyber-crimes, she asked the police force to contain those.

The Prime Minister also said that money laundering, cyber-crime and human trafficking are global issues and Bangladesh has to be saved from these.

She said that police force is contributing remarkably to contain terrorism, militancy, drugs, violence against women and children.

“These should be contained with more skill,” she told police members.

Sheikh Hasina put emphasis on establishing a separate Medical Unit for police to look after the medical services of the force’s personnel.

She also mentioned that the government is taking steps to modernise and develop police hospitals outside Dhaka, especially in the divisional headquarters.

Talking about development of the police force since 2009, the Prime Minister said that in 2009 the budget for the force was Tk 3,000 crore while in 2020-21 fiscal it has been increased to Tk 16,000.

She said that to control and contain crimes in the country, the government has formed various types of units like Police Bureau of Investigation, Tourist Police, Special Security and Protection Battalion, Industrial Police, Women Armed Police Battalion and two separate armed police battalions for Rohingya camps.

She said that to enhance police capacity for eliminating militancy and terrorism, Anti-Terrorism Unit (ATU) and Counter-Terrorism and Transnational Crime Unit (CTTC) have been formed.

She mentioned that modern operational gear ‘Tactical Belt’ is going to be inducted in the police force so that police officers and forces could keep their hands free to discharge their duties with more skill.

Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan, Senior Secretary of Public Security Division under Ministry of Home Affairs Mostafa Kamal Uddin and Inspector General of Police Dr Benazir Ahmed also spoke at the programme.

Earlier, Asaduzzaman, on behalf of the Prime Minister, distributed different awards among the cadets for their outstanding results.