New uniforms unveiled for police, Rab, Ansar

Recognising the need for a change in the image of the law enforcement agencies, the government has finalised new uniforms for Bangladesh Police, Rapid Action Battalion, Ansar, and VDP.
Home Adviser Lt Gen (retd) Jahangir Alam Chowdhury disclosed the decision after it was approved at a meeting of the Law and Order Advisory Committee at the Secretariat yesterday.

Police, Ansar, and Rab representatives wearing 18 different uniform prototypes were present in the meeting. Finally, three colours were chosen -- "iron" for police, "olive green" for Rab, and "wheat gold" for Ansar.
Asked why the government is changing the uniforms, Jahangir said that the change in uniforms symbolises the need for a shift in the law enforcers' mindset and behaviour.
"Alongside the uniforms, they must change everything, their mindset, behaviour, and conduct.
"The most important focus should be on tackling corruption. If we can eliminate corruption in this country, many of our problems will be resolved," he added.
Besides widespread corruption by the police, their actions targeting opposition leaders and activists drew huge flak over the past decades.
The interim government started the process of picking new uniforms for the police and other law enforcement agencies immediately after taking charge in August last year as the law enforcers were hit by a lack of morale after the uprising.
They faced harsh criticisms and deadly attacks after their excessive use of force leading to the deaths of hundreds of protesters during the July uprising.
Over the years, police have been criticised for being used as a tool to silence voices, restrict free speech, and maintain control over the political landscape. These not only undermined the integrity of the police but also eroded public trust in law enforcement agencies.
As for the Rab, the Police Reform Commission formed by the interim government has even proposed assessing the need for Rab by reviewing its past activities and allegations of human rights violations, such as extra-judicial killings.
The commission also recommended introducing measures to combat custodial torture, legal harassment by the police, extortion, arbitrary arrests, and enforced disappearances.
According to officials, the police provide three sets of uniforms to their around 2.14 lakh members every year. Around 5,000 people work in Rab on deputation from different forces, including the armed forces. They also get three sets of uniforms in a year. Some 51,000 Ansar, and 17,000 Battalion Ansar personnel get two sets of uniforms every year.
TEARGAS FOR BGB
The advisory committee also approved the purchase of non-lethal weapons, such as stun grenades and teargas, for Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB).
Adviser Jahangir said these purchases would be made very soon.
Referring to recent tension at the Chapainawabganj border, he said, "You have seen that the BSF [India's Border Security Force] has non-lethal weapons, but the BGB does not have these."
Last Saturday, tension flared over an altercation between Indian and Bangladeshi citizens over the cutting of tree branches and harvesting paddy. Hundreds of people from both countries gathered at the border, and they threw brick chunks at each other.
BSF fired teargas and stun grenades to control the crowds, according to BGB officials.
In reply to a question about lethal weapons, Jahangir said, "They [BGB] already have lethal weapons. Whether they will use those weapons or not will depend on the situation."
Asked how India will take Bangladesh's move to buy non-lethal weapons for the BGB, he said, "There is no scope for India to consider this negatively as they already have these weapons."
Asked about border agreements with India, he said foreign-related issues generally progress slowly. "There is a director general-level conference between the BSF and BGB in February. We have also formed a committee led by our home secretary to scrutinise and identify at which points the problems are."
The home ministry then would send a letter to the foreign ministry, and the foreign ministry would inform India that Bangladesh wants these agreements to be revisited.
Earlier this month, the home adviser accused the previous government of granting India unequal opportunities leading to disputes over barbed wire fencing at 160 locations along the border.
FOREIGNERS
The advisory committee also discussed the issue of foreign nationals overstaying in Bangladesh.
"We issued a circular stating that many people in our country are residing illegally or have overstayed their visas. Previously, the official number of such individuals was 49,226, and this figure has now decreased to 33,648," Jahangir said.
"Their deadline, however, is January 31, after which we will take legal action against them," he said, adding the government has so far earned around Tk 10.53 crore in revenue by slapping fines on the overstaying foreigners.
The adviser also said the government would take action against companies if they fail to secure proper permission to employ foreigners and continue doing this.
On January 13, and December 26, the home ministry in separate circulars requested foreign nationals, who are staying or working illegally in the country, to acquire necessary documents by January 31.
On December 8, the ministry first advised foreign nationals who are living in Bangladesh without valid visas to promptly take necessary action as per existing regulations.
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