Yunus wants to see police in a new image

Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus has said the stain on police force over the past 16 years cannot be erased overnight and called for the creation of an entirely new image for its members.

He made these remarks in a speech to field-level police officers at his office in Dhaka's Tejgaon on Monday.

He added the government wants police to build a new image, ensuring both the nation and the world see it not only as a law-enforcing force, but a force of the new Bangladesh.

“This character is important. When you work, people will forget the past and forgive you.”

The chief advisor described police as the most important team in Bangladesh, saying: “Business, trade, and many other things depend on it, but the police must lay the foundation. You need to create this working environment.

“We must take an oath and commit to not obstructing people but making their path easier and standing by them.”

He also urged police to uphold the law.

The interim prime minister also touched on the topic of elections, saying: “We have announced that elections will be held in December.

“So, whatever we intend to do and whatever we are capable of must be done in the meantime.”

With the elections approaching, the chief advisor urged police officers to work within the law, acknowledging concerns about various pressures.

He said, “We must remain within the law to ensure that the elected government is a government of law.”

He said whoever it is, be it a student party, an old one, or a new one, everyone should fulfil their responsibilities within the law.

Urging to ensure the safety of women and minorities, he said: “Protecting women is a big job. Due to our negligence, it has spread rapidly in society.

“Half of our country's people have become helpless. There is no one to look after them.

“It is our responsibility to ensure all the rights given to minorities as citizens according to the constitution, and we have to fulfil that responsibility through police.”

Once again urging people to be careful of propaganda, Yunus said: “If there is any outbreak of propaganda, it must be immediately reported and stopped so that people are not misled.”

He called for an increased use of technology in police work.

Highlighting the issue of police verification in passports, he said: “We have become so accustomed to police verification that we are shocked by the removal of it.

“The Rohingya have the opportunity to be verified through the UNHCR database. If they give biometrics, they will immediately say that they are residents of the Rohingya camp.

“We are currently working on connecting those two databases. As soon as it is done, all information will appear on the screen, and the passport authority will decide on it.”

He said, “I hope Starlink will launch in a few days. Once it does, you will notice this first internet service offering incredibly fast speeds.

“Compared with the current internet, it will be so fast that everything will be at your fingertips in an instant.”