Police High-ups Meet PM
Police Medical Service demanded
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina addresses senior police officials at her office in the city yesterday. Photo: PID
Senior police officials yesterday placed various demands before Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, including a restoration of the status of the inspector general of police (IGP), which was downgraded in 1983. They also demanded the formation of a Police Medical Service (PMS) unit similar to the Army Medical Corps. The police officials, all superintendents of police (SP) and above, placed the demand when they called on the prime minister at her office in the morning as part of the three-day Police Week-2012. The week began on Tuesday. Meeting sources said Asaduzzaman Miah, deputy inspector general (DIG) of Dhaka range, told Hasina that the then prime minister Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman had ranked the IGP with three stars, but army ruler HM Ershad downgraded the rank in 1983 by removing its one star. Talking to The Daily Star, DIG Asaduzzaman said, “On behalf of the police department, I urged the prime minister to return the IGP's status which was snatched away by the then army ruler 29 years ago.” According to sources at the meeting, Kamrul Ahsan, Jessore district SP, proposed the setting up of a Police Medical Service unit like the Army Medical Corps to ensure better medical service for policemen. Kamrul in his proposal suggested a medical college should be set up under the PMS unit for policemen and doctors bearing ranks should be recruited like regular police officials. Sources said Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Commissioner Benazir Ahmed demanded the setting up of four police lines at four corners of the DMP instead of the existing one. The DMP commissioner also demanded the formation of a separate police unit in the home ministry to speed up official activities related to the police department, sources said. Meeting sources said the prime minister had assured an active consideration of the police demand and asked the officers to uphold the dignity of the police force. At the meeting, IGP Hassan Mahmood Khandker delivered the welcome address while Additional IGP AKM Shahidul Hoque gave the vote of thanks. State Minister for Home Shamsul Haque Tuku and Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister Sheikh M Wahid Uz Zaman were, among others, present.
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