IGP claims Tk 675 crore shortfall at Nagad, says crossfire would need government permission
Photo: Collected
Inspector General of Police (IGP) Md Ali Hossain Fakir has said police will even carry out crossfire if needed and if the government gives permission.
In the IGP’s words, ‘Who will come, when they will come, what will happen — that is not for us, the law enforcement agencies, to look into. Our duty is to apply whatever needs to be applied, whenever and wherever, in line with the law and the Constitution. Where crossfire is needed, if the government allows (permits) it, we (police) will do exactly that.’
He made the remarks at the formal launch of Community Bank’s Islamic banking service in Chawkbazar around 12 noon today (Monday).
Explaining the position of the police, the IGP said, ‘If we wield batons, you will call us fascist police. And if we stay silent, you will call us weak police. So I have to be given an environment to work in, I have to be empowered.’
He added, ‘Whatever forces we may name, if you are to live in happiness and peace, there is no alternative to this police, to the police. The army will defend the country and protect sovereignty. And internal order, peace, prosperity and economic development can all be achieved through your and our combined efforts.’
The IGP claimed that police had not committed any human rights violations in maintaining law and order. He said, ‘We have not applied any unwanted force. You have seen the state of Bangladesh’s police after the July uprising — police were afraid to do duty on the streets, they did not dare to go out. From that situation, under the leadership of the present Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, we are on the path to building a happy and prosperous Bangladesh. The Prime Minister is working day and night to give you (the people) real relief and a peaceful environment, and for your economic development. Please cooperate in that.’
The IGP made these remarks while speaking about the safety of customers’ money in banks, the supervision and accountability of financial institutions, the duties of the police, and law and order. He said, ‘Police must be given the opportunity to perform their duties in line with the law and the Constitution. At the same time, action must also be taken against any member of the police who gets involved in crime.’
Issuing a warning, he said, ‘Do not try to blackmail the police, and do not get blackmailed yourselves.’
The IGP also urged everyone not to be misled by rumours and false information, but to identify the real incidents and work together to remedy them.
He said action is being taken against members of the force involved in crime. By his count, around 27 police officers have been sent to jail in the past two months. He also raised past allegations of political leaders and some members of the police being involved in the drug trade.
According to the IGP, police must be given the opportunity to play an effective role in ensuring peace and security in society. If the police are kept ineffective while all the blame is put on their shoulders, the desired law and order situation will not come about.
He said, ‘Accept that police are needed from the cradle to the grave, and let me perform my duties in line with the law and the Constitution.’
He also spoke of the need to take proper action when allegations are raised against members of the police. In his view, if no action is taken even after a member commits a crime, the police will have to answer for it. But it is also not right to judge law enforcement agencies on the basis of false allegations and rumours.
The IGP also questioned whether the mobile financial service (MFS) provider Nagad holds enough cash against its electronic money. He said that if an institution has Tk 1,000 crore in electronic money, it should have an equal amount of cash deposited. But in Nagad’s case, he claimed, there is a shortfall of Tk 675 crore.
Remarking that customers would suffer the most if such an institution collapsed for any reason, the IGP urged Bangladesh Bank to properly carry out its duty of supervising and monitoring the financial sector.
Raising irregularities in the banking sector, he said that when banks take customers’ money by luring them with high profits and then fall into crisis, the burden ends up on the customers. Saying he himself has had money deposited with First Security Islami Bank, he said the bank fell into crisis after raising huge sums by promising high profits in the name of Islamic banking.
The IGP stressed ethics, transparency, accountability and proper supervision in banking. In his view, merely framing rules is not enough; their effective implementation must be ensured. Both banks and customers must fulfil their responsibilities from an ethical standpoint.
He urged people to understand the core principles of Islamic banking. He also spoke of running banking operations with risk-sharing, assessment of investment feasibility and customers’ capacity in mind.
The IGP said the country’s financial institutions have fallen into crisis because of irregularities and loan defaults, which is also affecting the jobs of bank officials and employees. For that reason, cost-benefit analysis and consideration of future risks are needed before investment.
He sought everyone’s cooperation in keeping law and order normal, controlling drugs and maintaining social stability. The IGP said police have to be in the field even during various crises at universities, industrial units or among workers. In such cases, the parties concerned must also behave responsibly.
In his words, just as the police must abide by the law and the Constitution in performing their duties, citizens too must respect the law. Freedom does not mean the right to do whatever one pleases; to live in society, one must follow the law and ethics.
He remarked that economic development and prosperity stall when law and order is not good. So building a peaceful Bangladesh requires the combined efforts of people from all walks of life, including the police.
Urging people to stay away from spreading rumours, the IGP said speculating about the political situation is not the job of law enforcement agencies; their job is to carry out their duties in line with the law and the Constitution. To judge the work of the police, the actual incidents must be looked at, and if members of the force commit crimes, their accountability must also be ensured.
Background
Md Ali Hossain Fakir was promoted and appointed IGP through a Home Ministry notification on 24 February; he was then the chief of the Armed Police Battalion (APBn), Desh Rupantor reported that day.
According to that Desh Rupantor report, the officer of the 15th batch of BCS (Police) was dismissed from service for political reasons the first time and sent into forced retirement the next time during the Awami League rule; he got his job back through a legal process during the interim government.
Sources
Original report: Ajker Patrika
Background sources: Desh Rupantor, 24 February 2026
