Staff Reporter:
The Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) has formally employed 426 people, mostly private security guards, as “auxiliary support force” to ensure law and order during the upcoming Eid festival.
The freshly recruited personnel have already started performing their duties across different parts of the capital, said Muhammad Talebur Rahman, deputy commissioner of DMP public relations department, at a press briefing on Friday.
On Thursday, Talebur said the five construction workers, who moved to prevent a recent robbery attempt at a jeweller’s house in Dhanmondi, would be recruited as “auxiliary force” members.
On 8 March, DMP Commissioner Sheikh Sazzat Ali said shopping malls stay open late into the night during Ramadan, putting pressure on police workforce to ensure security for shoppers and businessmen.
Due to the expected workload and deterioration in public order situation, DMP has decided to recruit private security personnel to function as regular police members at shopping malls, residential areas and commercial areas.
The recruited private security personnel would have the power to arrest suspects, and enjoy legal immunity like police where applicable, the DMP chief had told reporters.
