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Inspector General of Police (IGP) Md Ali Hossain Fakir has said a new law is being prepared to combat extortion, which will allow police to take legal action against extortionists without requiring complaints from victims.
He made the remarks while talking to journalists on Saturday after addressing a community policing meeting at the Khulna Police Lines, organised to discuss combating drugs, terrorism, extortion, juvenile gangs and extremism in Khulna and its surrounding areas.
The IGP said ordinary people often hesitate to file complaints or testify against influential extortionists for fear of retaliation.
To overcome this barrier and curb extortion, the government is moving to introduce a new law that would empower police to initiate legal proceedings against alleged extortionists on their own, even without a victim’s complaint, he said.
Fakir said joint operations were underway across the country to control juvenile gangs, extortion and drug-related crimes.
He also highlighted the challenges police face in maintaining law and order, saying that the force is often labelled fascist when it uses force, while people consider it weak when it refrains from doing so.
Over the past 17 years, a distance has developed between police and the public, while drugs have become entrenched in society, he said, adding that police were working to address the situation.
The IGP said a legal framework was being developed with approval from the ministries of home affairs and finance to make law enforcement agencies more effective.
Under the proposed framework, community policing would operate as a formal branch of the police, he said.
He acknowledged allegations that some community police members had harassed innocent people, intimidated them and extorted money.
The new legal framework would ensure that community policing activities are conducted within defined rules and prevent such abuses, he added.
The meeting was chaired by Khulna Metropolitan Police Commissioner Md Sazzadur Rahman.
Khulna Range Deputy Inspector General Md Rezaul Karim and Police Training Centre, Khulna Commandant (DIG) AKM Mosharraf Hossain Miaji attended as special guests. Local dignitaries and representatives of civil society were also present.
