Published : 26 Oct 2026, 02:03 PM
Updated : 26 Oct 2026, 02:03 PM
Inspector General of Police (IGP) Ali Hossain Fakir has said police will resort to crossfire where needed if the government gives the go-ahead.
Law enforcers would act according to the law and Constitution, regardless of who came or when “Apa” [Sheikh Hasina] returned, he said at a banking system launch in Dhaka’s Chawkbazar on Monday.
Hitting back at criticism, he said police are branded “fascist” when they wield batons and weak when they stay silent.
Officers must be given room to work, he said, as there is “no substitute for police” if people want to live in peace.
The Bangladesh Army will defend the country and its sovereignty, but internal order, prosperity and economic growth need a collective effort, according to the IGP.
He urged people neither to blackmail police nor to be blackmailed.
Calling for peace and order, Ali Hossain said all political parties campaign on promises of peace but often insist on having their own way in disputes, a mindset he said would prevent society from becoming prosperous.
He also urged people not to take the law into their own hands and criticised misconduct by police personnel, saying it was unfair to blame the force for every problem.
The IGP raised concerns over the spread of drugs in neighbourhoods and alleged that some police personnel were involved in drug trafficking alongside members of the ousted Awami League.
He said 27 police members had been suspended over the past two months over alleged involvement in drug-related activities.
