City Reporter: In order to make the city’s police system stronger and more dynamic, the Chittagong Metropolitan Police (CMP) has formed a committee called Citizens Forum as per the instructions of the police headquarters. Earlier, it was community policing. Yesterday, Sunday at 3 pm, CMP Commissioner Haseeb Aziz announced the inauguration of the newly formed committee of the city’s Citizens Forum at a function organized at the multipurpose shed of Police Lines in Dampara.
He said, Citizens Forum is a new form of community police. Its scope is more than the community policing system. Which will work as a bridge between the police and the city residents. He said the members of the Citizens Forum will discuss among themselves how police services can be improved, where improvements can be made, what services can be provided, and what new services can be provided. The members of this forum will stand by those who have no place to stand in society. Hasib Aziz said, This is a non-political organization. This forum will have representation from all classes, professions, religions, and castes of the society, regardless of party or opinion. There will be arrangements for the members of this forum to sit and hold meetings in each police station. Together with the officers in charge of the police station, they will give advice on what can be done to control traffic in the area, illegal taxi stands, extortion from mobile traders, and what can be done to control extortionists. He said the members of this forum will inform the police station about the marginalized sections of society, such as the disabled, the elderly, distressed women, and the poor who cannot demand services anywhere, and their words and actions will be taken accordingly.
According to sources, this committee will work in each of the 16 police stations of the city. There will be a committee under the metropolis to coordinate with the members of these committees. And a total of 774 members of this committee will work to raise public awareness and reduce crime in the entire city.
Police say that a Citizens Forum has been formed with political figures from each of the city’s 16 police stations and wards, imams of mosques and madrasas, teachers and students of educational institutions in the area, businessmen, social organizers, journalists, and lawyers. To avoid controversies like community policing during the previous government’s tenure, the members have been included after verification in several stages, said the CMP Commissioner.
It is learned that this forum will work with the aim of providing services to people from all walks of life. Among them, they will work to increase social values, including cooperation from people from all walks of life in police work, creating awareness against crime, preventing child marriage, preventing eve-teasing, suppressing terrorism and militancy, and preventing violence against women and children.
At the function, the committee comprising 86 members from Chittagong Metropolitan City, 45 from Kotwali Police Station, 50 from Sadarghat Police Station, 50 from Chawkbazar Police Station, 41 from Baklia Police Station, 53 from Khulshi Police Station, 51 from Bayezid Police Station, 42 from Panchlaish Police Station, 35 from Chandgaon Police Station, 36 from Pahartali Police Station, 45 from Akbarshah Police Station, 58 from Halishahar Police Station, 49 from Doublemooring Police Station, 37 from Bandar Police Station, 36 from EPZ Police Station, 29 from Patenga Police Station, and 31 from Karnaphuli Police Station was announced.
After the committee was announced, everyone got acquainted with the leaders of the 16 police station committees and the metropolitan committee of the metropolis. In their speeches, the committee leaders wished for the success of this new initiative and highlighted their work methods. CMP Deputy Police Commissioner (Crime and Operations) Md. Raish Uddin will serve as the focal point of the formed committees. CMP Additional Commissioner (Crime and Operations) Md. Humayun Kabir, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Headquarters) S. M. Mostain Hossain, Citizens Forum Metropolitan Committee Convener Mohammad Mashiul Alam Swapan, Member Secretary Dr. Abu Naser, and others were present at the event.
