S A Shofiee, Sylhet

The new police commissioner of Sylhet Metropolitan Police Md Rezaul Karim PPM (Service) views exchange with journalists of print and electronic and online media working in Sylhet.

In the discussion meeting organized at the conference hall of the Police Commissioner's office on Wednesday afternoon, he said, "I myself had been a victim of discrimination for a long time in my working life. In return for the sacrifice of the students, we have come to you today with promotion in new Bangladesh, we owe their blood. Sylhet is well known to people all over the country as a holy city and a very peaceful holy land. I have a heart connection with Sylhet since my student days. At the beginning of the speech, he greeted the people of the city and expressed his determination to build a safe and peaceful city.

He said, we want to become the police of the people. We are not party or group police. People's police. We no longer want to be slaves or fanatics. We are troubled today because of the unprofessionalism of some policemen in the past. The police commissioner said that whoever is guilty will be prosecuted. Criminal policemen will also be brought to justice.

Police Commissioner also said, we want to make Metropolitan Police Sylhet Metropolitan City as a city of peace. The incidents that happened due to the excesses of some dishonest police officers in the past days will be brought under the law and punishment will be ensured. Then in the future no one will dare to commit crime in the line of duty. We pray for the repose of the soul of journalist Abu Taher Md Turab and express our condolences to his family. Those involved in the murder of Journalist Turab will be brought under the law and punished. We want your help in rescuing those who have displayed and used illegal weapons on the streets in the past days

He also said that many of our policemen were injured and killed during the student agitation. There is fear in the minds of the policemen and the morale to work has decreased. On this occasion, the policemen were allowed to create chaos. In this difficult time, we have understood the policeman and overcome this situation. We have to work for peace, order and welfare of the country. We want to be the police of the people among the people Strict action will be taken against those who have committed wrongful activities in the past, those who are miscreants and criminals.

Before Sylhet Metropolitan Police Commissioner's speech, local journalists spoke at the exchange meeting. In the speech, the journalist leaders said that the killers of journalist Abu Taher Md. Turab should be brought under the law, illegal sugar trade, arms, drugs and Indian goods going through Sylhet city through the country, necessary measures should be taken to stop these activities. He mentioned in many statements that these have been in collusion with a class of administration officials in the past. Journalist leaders also demanded the recovery of illegal firearms displayed in the past days.

Sylhet Press Club President Ikramul Kabir, General Secretary Sirajul Islam, Sylhet District Press Club General Secretary Shah Didar Alam Chowdhury Noble, Sylhet Online Press Club President Golzar Ahmad Helal, General Secretary M Saifur Rahman Talukdar, IMJA President Sajal Chhatri, General Secretary Shyamanand Das and others Journalists of all print, electronic and online media working in Sylhet were present here.

Meanwhile, the new Police Commissioner Rezaul Karim took charge last Thursday around 10 pm. Earlier on Tuesday, Rezaul Karim was appointed as the commissioner in the notification signed by Mahabur Rahman Sheikh, Deputy Secretary of the Public Security Department of the Home Ministry. Rezaul Karim was earlier working as Additional DIG in Anti-Terrorism Unit. Before that, he was Superintendent of Police of Jhenaidah District. He was promoted as DIG and posted in Sylhet.