Photo: Collected
The country has enough laws to prevent crime, so the police must do their job by properly enforcing existing laws rather than resorting to any extra-legal means, BNP acting secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi has said. He also said the inspector general of police’s (IGP) remarks about bringing back crossfire had embarrassed the government.
A free medical camp was organised in front of the BNP central office at Naya Paltan in the capital on Tuesday to mark the 48th founding anniversary of Jubo Dal. Rizvi made the remarks while opening the camp.
Referring to the IGP’s comment, he said Prime Minister Tarique Rahman wants to build a humane Bangladesh. At such a time, hearing the police chief talk of bringing back crossfire has given them cause for concern, he said. Such remarks have put the government in an embarrassing position.
According to Rizvi, there is no need to resort to unlawful methods to curb crime when laws are in place. Action must be taken against criminals by properly enforcing existing laws, he said, adding that the rule of law cannot be established by going outside the law.
The BNP leader said the party came to power after a long struggle against enforced disappearances, killings and misrule over the past 17 years. That is why establishing the rule of law and ensuring a humane environment is essential, he said. In his view, the police must carry out their duty to curb crime through the proper application of the law, not through extrajudicial methods.
Ruhul Kabir Rizvi also spoke about young people. Youths must stay organised and work for the country’s development, he said. They will not get involved in tender manipulation or extortion. He also called for care to be taken so that young people do not become a source of fear for the public.
Rizvi said Jubo Dal has kept up this tradition. Young people must play a positive role in the country’s development and people’s welfare, he said, expressing hope that responsible conduct by the youth would help build a fair and humane society.
Background
According to a Prothom Alo report on 26 October, Inspector General of Police (IGP) Md Ali Hossain Fakir said that day at the launch of Community Bank’s Islamic banking service at Chawkbazar in Old Dhaka, ‘If crossfire is needed, and if the government allows it, that is what we will do.’
The prime minister’s information and broadcasting adviser, Dr Zahed Ur Rahman, said at the Secretariat on 27 October that the government does not support any kind of extrajudicial killing and that the IGP had withdrawn his remark, The Business Standard Bangla reported on 27 October.
According to the same report, police headquarters later explained that the IGP had used the word figuratively to mean tough action against drug dealers, terrorists and extortionists.
By the numbers
Human rights organisation Odhikar has recorded five extrajudicial killings since the current government took office, NPB News reported on 26 October.
Sources
Original report: Bangladesh Pratidin
Background sources: Prothom Alo, 26 October 2026; The Business Standard Bangla, 27 October 2026; NPB News, 26 October 2026
