Staff Reporter:
Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed has issued a strong warning following an attack on a joint forces camp in Jungle Salimpur of Chattogram, saying that the incident reflects a lack of rule of law over the past 17 years.
He said incidents such as the Jungle Salimpur attack and similar assaults on police personnel in other areas are being closely monitored, adding that those involved will be dealt with firmly. “No form of terrorism, drug abuse or corruption will be tolerated in the country,” he said.
The minister made the remarks on Tuesday (26 May) at a press briefing at Police Headquarters.
Salahuddin also said road accidents have decreased this year, adding that most incidents were caused by human error.
Citing yesterday’s example of passengers traveling on the roof of a rod-laden truck bound for Naogaon, he said that the accident occurred due to a loss of balance during a risky journey aimed at saving transport fare, which is highly tragic.
He urged greater public awareness among commuters.
The Minister said that although the Central Monitoring Cell of the Police Headquarters is operational year-round, it has been specially strengthened and activated from seven days before Eid to seven days after Eid-ul-Adha. Through the deployment of adequate manpower, all highways, cattle markets, and expressways across the country, including the Jamuna and Padma Bridges, have been brought under round-the-clock surveillance. In sections of the highways where CCTV cameras are not available, police personnel are ensuring their duties using body-worn cameras.
The Minister emphasized that the government is extremely strict in ensuring that no unauthorized cattle markets are set up outside the approved ones. Recently, an illegal market set up beneath the Metro Rail line in Mirpur was shut down immediately. Furthermore, to prevent the circulation of counterfeit notes in the markets, adequate fake note detection machines have been installed by commercial banks and the police in coordination with the Bangladesh Bank.
Talking about traffic congestion, the minister said recommendations would be made to the Ministry of Road Transport for modernisation of toll management and greater digitisation (such as automated card payment systems in vehicles). Thoughts are also being given to providing special incentives to encourage users.
In response to a query from journalists regarding North-bound passengers facing long waits at the Jamuna Bridge toll plaza, the Minister explained that the queue is caused by the manual toll collection system.
He also said adequate security arrangements would be in place for the Loknath festival in Narayanganj and the Kumbh Mela in Madaripur.
Referring to the Jungle Salimpur incident, authorities said several hundred miscreants attacked a joint forces camp in the Alinagar area late Sunday night, damaging the under-construction facility and assaulting personnel. Joint forces fired 105 rounds in self-defence, with no casualties reported.
Plans are underway to develop an integrated “Security and Administrative Hub” at the site, featuring a Police Academy, RAB Academy, Police Sports Complex, and a prison. This audacity of the terrorists will be suppressed with an iron fist, and the government’s effective measures will soon be visible to the public.
A subsequent operation was conducted on Monday, during which several individuals were detained for questioning, officials added.
Regarding the operation of the drug trade using CC cameras and drones in Savar, and the subsequent attack on media personnel, the Minister stated that three police officers have already been closed in connection with the incident. Appealing to media personnel for specific information, he said that strict legal action would be taken against those involved within the next 24 hours. Just as the government has taken immediate action against every heinous crime in the country over the past three months, similarly strict measures will be enforced against this drug syndicate and the attackers.
