Chittagong to get a 2nd police lines

The government has decided to set up a second police lines in Chittagong to ease housing problems policemen face in the port city.

Chittagong Metropolitan Police (CMP) officials say the Ministry of Land has already approved the proposal.

At its inception in 1978, the CMP had 2,485 members and six police stations. The number has risen over the past 35 years.

There are presently 16 police stations in the port city, said CMP's Additional Commissioner AKM Shahidur Rahman.

"Our manpower has increased to 5,774 and there is a proposal to create another 5,070 posts in the future," he told bdnews24.com.

He said the Damparha Police Lines house 1,664 policemen at present, while another 800 officials stay at various police stations with the rest putting up in rented houses.

According to CMP, there are four barracks for policemen, one for policewomen, and 20 residential buildings in the Damparha Police Lines.

A total of 1,400 policemen can stay in the five barracks.

ASP Rahman said hillocks occupy half of the police lines' 50-acre area, leaving no room for new residential buildings.

The proposal to set up a new police lines was forwarded to the police headquarters on Jul 17, 2011, he said.

The new complex would be spread over a 14-acre plot of the Public Works Department's Stock Yard.

Rahman said the proposal was approved on Sept 10 at a meeting of the Ministry of Land. He said a letter had been sent to Chittagong's Deputy Commissioner for his opinion.

Police officials hope it would be possible to begin construction soon, as there were no complexities of land acquisition.