The head of the interim government, Professor Muhammad Yunus, has said the nation’s police force was reduced to a partisan tool during 15 years of autocratic rule, resulting in the collapse of institutional order.
Addressing police personnel on Tuesday (29 April) morning at the Bangladesh Police Auditorium in Rajarbagh to inaugurate Police Week, Yunus remarked that widespread public outrage erupted when the police were compelled to carry out unlawful directives under the previous regime.
Many honest officers, he noted, had to bear the brunt of this politicisation.
“The country’s law enforcement system was in a fractured state when the interim government assumed office last August,” he told the gathering, which included the home affairs adviser, his special assistant, the Inspector General of Police and other senior officials.
Yunus emphasised that throughout history, people have aspired to live in a society where rights, dignity and justice prevail without discrimination — a vision the police must help realise.
To that end, he said, the government had taken every necessary step to address the public’s loss of trust in the police.
Measures included initiatives to restore order on roads and highways, strengthen communication between police and stakeholders, and introduce incentives to boost police morale.
He also acknowledged the role of the police in ensuring the peaceful observance of major religious and cultural events such as Durga Puja, the Bishwa Ijtema, Eid-ul-Fitr, and the Bengali New Year.
Praising their efforts in tackling crimes promptly and stabilising the law and order situation through coordinated work with other agencies, Yunus offered heartfelt thanks. He concluded his speech with applause, saying, “This round of applause is well deserved — it belongs to you.”
