Police is determined to ensure polls security: IGP

Police Inspector General AKM Shahidul Hoque on Tuesday said the country`s main law enforcement agency was determined to ensure security during the upcoming municipal polls keeping an extra eye against possible extremist activities to upset the nationwide event.

"We are determined to ensure security during the polls," Hoque told a media briefing in the southwestern city after a meeting with senior officers of police, elite anti-crime Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and other law enforcement agencies of the 10 districts of Khulna Division.

He added that the law enforcement and security agencies were asked to keep an extra eye against possible militant activities and launch an immediate campaign to arrest the suspected terrorists, gangsters and possessors of unauthorized weapons named in the police list ahead of the December 30 polls.

"Joint forces comprising police, RAB, APBN (Armed Police Battalion) and ansars will launch a combing operation shortly to arrest them," he said.

The police chief said people having licensed weapons were also asked to deposit their arms to the concerned government authorities for a temporary period ahead of the elections.

He said warnings were issued in advance cautioning members of the law enforcement agencies of severe punitive actions for failure in delivering their duties properly particularly during the elections.

"Negligence in duties will not be tolerated . . . they (policemen) would face stern actions if found to have failed in delivering their responsibilities properly," the police chief said.

Deputy inspector general of police for Khulna Range SM Moniruzzaman, Khulna`s metropolitan police commissioner Nibash Chandra Majhi and Commander of RAB-6 Rafiqul Islam, among others, were present at the briefing.

Earlier the IGP opened the newly built Khalishpur Police Station building and a six storied dormitory at Khulna Police lines and attended as the chief guest the annual assembly and sports competition of KMP.