Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed has said the government is adopting a strict and lawful approach to improve the country’s law and order situation and restore public confidence.
Speaking at a briefing after a high-level meeting at the Home Ministry in the Bangladesh Secretariat, he said rebuilding discipline in institutions that were in a fragile state will take time, but progress is being made.
The briefing followed a meeting of the National Committee on Coordination, Management and Law and Order related to Forcibly Displaced Myanmar Nationals, held at the same venue in Dhaka.
Among those present at the meeting were Social Welfare Minister Abu Zafar Md Zahid Hossain, Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman, Disaster Management and Relief Minister Asadul Habib Dulu, and State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam.
Responding to questions about recent transfers and compulsory retirements in the police, the minister said these are routine administrative actions carried out according to the law and are not politically motivated.
He also warned that criminals released on bail must not engage in further crimes, adding that law enforcement agencies are on alert and all offences, including murder, will be handled strictly under the law.
The minister further said a nationwide joint drive has been underway since May 1 against drugs, illegal arms, and extortion. The operation involves police, RAB, the Department of Narcotics Control, and intelligence agencies, with a focus on breaking major drug syndicates and cross-border smuggling networks under a zero-tolerance policy.