Inspector General of Police (IGP) Baharul Alam on Saturday acknowledged that over the past 15 years, Bangladesh Police had functioned as a partisan force, leading to various deviations and actions against the public.

“We committed many anti-people actions and a large number of protesters were martyred during the July–August movement. Due to greedy and partisan police members, a heavy responsibility has fallen on us,” the IGP said.

He added that over the past year, efforts have been made to restore the police to professional standards, rebuild morale and remove partisan influence from policing.

The remarks were made after a special welfare meeting with officers and members of various police units serving in Rangpur Division, held at Rangpur Police Lines School and College auditorium.

Baharul Alam admitted that enforcing the law impartially remains challenging, as people often misinterpret lawful police actions.

“When police try to enforce the law, some still think these are the same police from before 5 August and question arrests or road-clearance operations,” he said.

He urged the public to provide full support to the police, emphasizing that officers must be allowed to act without obstruction.

“I want to enforce the law fairly. If police fear criticism from political leaders over arrests, they cannot perform their duties properly. If we err, we should be held accountable,” he said.

On election security, the IGP said the police, supported by around 600,000 Ansar members, are responsible for maintaining law and order during the polls. The army, navy and air force will assist, while Border Guard Bangladesh and the Coast Guard are also involved in crime prevention, particularly in coastal areas.

Acknowledging that crime cannot be fully eradicated, he noted that Bangladesh sees an average of 3,500 to 4,000 murders each year.

“Our goal is to ensure that not a single life is lost,” he said, citing the killing of Shaheed Sharif Osman Hadi, which placed a heavy responsibility on police to investigate and ensure justice.

The IGP highlighted progress in investigating several murder cases in Khulna region and said that people of all communities have generally lived in harmony, although opportunists have tried to exploit situations.

“After July–August, attacks occurred on minorities and shrines. We filed cases and submitted charge sheets against perpetrators,” he said.

However, he pointed to delays in the justice system. From 2015 to 2025, only one-third of murder cases in Rangpur Division have been adjudicated.

“Prolonged trials and case backlogs encourage criminals. This weakness must be addressed through special laws and we hope the next government will act on it seriously,” he said.

For the first time in Bangladesh’s history, police have been trained specifically for election duties. As of Friday, 133,000 of 150,000 personnel have received election-related training, with the remainder expected to complete training by January 20.

CCTV cameras will be installed at all polling centers, and officers deployed at 8,000 high-risk and 16,000 medium-risk polling stations will be equipped with body cameras.

The meeting was attended by Rangpur Range Deputy Inspector General Aminul Islam, Metropolitan Police Commissioner Majid Ali, District Superintendent of Police Marufat Hossain and other senior police officials.