No criminal will be spared, regardless of influence: Advisor Jahangir

The law and order situation in Dhaka is better now but there is still room for improvement, he says

Home Advisor Jahangir Alam Chowdhury has vowed to take stringent measures to crack down on crime, warning that no concessions will be made for influential figures involved in criminal activities.

"No criminal will be spared under any circumstances, regardless of how powerful they are or their political affiliations," he said.

Jahangir made the remarks on Wednesday following a meeting with law enforcement officials assigned to the Dhaka metropolitan area at the Secretariat.

The meeting focused on ways to further improve Dhaka’s law and order situation, according to the advisor.

"The law and order situation has improved significantly, but there is still room for further improvement."

He noted that the situation in Mohammadpur has now reached a "reasonably manageable level".

"Our law enforcement agencies will use that model to bring crime down to a similar level in other areas," he added.

As the Sheikh Hasina regime fell on Aug 5, various police stations and other facilities were attacked, resulting in the destruction of important documents and evidence.

Since then, a series of reforms have been undertaken to reorganise the police force, including the dismissal of many senior officers and widespread transfers.

Efforts were made to reassign personnel, from top officers down to constables, especially within Dhaka.

The newly transferred officers in Dhaka are reportedly facing difficulties acclimatising and navigating the city. In response, the advisor said, "They need time to establish their networks and adjust."

He also highlighted the challenge of managing street vendors, which complicates traffic control in Dhaka. "There are many vendors occupying the streets, and they need to be temporarily removed."

"However, when one vendor is removed, another often takes their place immediately, so we need cooperation from everyone to address this issue."

Officials from the police, RAB, and the army attended the meeting.