Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed has directly rejected the statement made by Inspector General of Police (IGP) Md. Ali Hossain Fakir regarding ‘crossfire’. He stated that the government does not want crossfire; rather, it maintains a zero-tolerance policy towards it.
Noting that the IGP made such remarks inadvertently, the Home Minister said, “This was not right, nor was it appropriate.”
On Tuesday evening (October 27), the Home Minister told the media, “He (the IGP) is a simple-minded person. While speaking about the strict enforcement of the law, he said it inadvertently. It was not right, nor was it appropriate.”
The Home Minister added, “The government does not want crossfire; rather, it has zero tolerance towards crossfire. The government will not allow extrajudicial killings and is extremely strict on this matter. It will not tolerate extrajudicial killings or custodial deaths.”
He further said that the rule of law is the government’s primary goal, and improving law and order is its top priority. So far, there have been no incidents of crossfire deaths or custodial deaths. However, the government will do whatever is necessary to curb crime and ensure the proper application of the law.
Earlier on Monday (October 26), during an event in Old Dhaka’s Chawkbazar, IGP Md. Ali Hossain Fakir said that ‘crossfire’ would be used if necessary, provided the government gives permission.
He said, “If the police use force, one group calls them fascist, and if they remain inactive, they are called weak. A suitable environment must be provided for the police to perform their duties in maintaining law and order.”
On Tuesday afternoon, Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, Acting Secretary General of BNP and Political Adviser to the Prime Minister, spoke on the issue during the inauguration of a free medical service event in front of the BNP central office, organized on the occasion of the 48th founding anniversary of Jatiyatabadi Juba Dal. He remarked that the IGP’s statement regarding crossfire was embarrassing for the government.
The BNP Acting Secretary General stated that it is concerning to hear talk of crossfire from the police chief while the government of BNP—a party that fought for a long time against enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings—is in power.
