Maintain neutrality, avoid political bias in polls duties

Home Adviser Lt Gen (retd) Jahangir Alam Chowdhury yesterday advised police officers to maintain neutrality and refrain from aligning with political parties during the upcoming elections.

The adviser also emphasised the need for police officers to shake off past election experiences and focus on their role in ensuring a peaceful and secure election.

"Do not act like political workers or provide undue advantage to any group," he said.

Jahangir further called for police to face any challenges with a calm demeanour, using legal means to address all issues.

The adviser's remarks came during the inauguration of the election training programme to increase capacity and expertise at the Rajarbagh Police Auditorium, aimed at enhancing the capabilities of nearly 1,50,000 police personnel ahead of the election.

Highlighting the significance of the training, Jahangir expressed his confidence that the programme would help officers perform their duties with professionalism, discipline, and neutrality.

Khuda Baksh Chowdhury, special assistant to the chief adviser for home affairs, underscored the importance of professionalism in the police force.

"The real challenge lies in transforming the mindset of officers to align with impartiality and professionalism," he said.

Nasimul Ghani, senior secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs, emphasised that the ultimate goal of the training is to ensure a peaceful, safe election while restoring the lost honour of the police force.

He urged trainers to instil this clear purpose in every officer, ensuring that the message of neutrality and professionalism reaches even the lowest ranks.

IGP Baharul Alam, who presided over the programme, said the police's role in the upcoming elections will be closely monitored both nationally and internationally, urging officers to demonstrate patience, wisdom, and self-discipline.

At the beginning, Abu Naser Mohammed Khaled, additional IG (HRM) of PHQ, gave a detailed description of how the training programme will be conducted.

He said the programme has been structured in phases, aiming to equip officers with the necessary skills and knowledge.

"The training includes practical sessions on weapons authority, managing election-day responsibilities, and using modern technology like body-worn cameras. The programme also emphasises the importance of understanding election laws and maintaining law and order at polling stations," he said.

Naser said a total of 1.7 million law enforcers will perform duties, among whom 150,000 will be from the police force, which is nine per cent of the total deployment.

Naser said that the programme is divided into four phases, each targeting different groups of police personnel and focusing on various aspects of election security.

"We have already prepared 150 master trainers, and these trainers will be responsible for imparting knowledge to other officers nationwide. By mid-September, trainers will be trained at district, range, metropolitan, and institute levels, and training will be given across 130 venues," he said.

"We are hopeful to complete the election process by December 15," added Naser.