Police must meet public expectations through reforms: Home Minister

Police reform and institutional restructuring must be prioritised to meet public expectations, Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed said on Thursday, directing law enforcement agencies to rebuild public trust through democratic reforms and improved governance.

Salahuddin Ahmed made the remarks during a view-exchange meeting with heads of departments and organisations under the Ministry of Home Affairs at the conference room of the Bangladesh Secretariat in Dhaka.

The home minister said the police and other disciplined forces must align their activities with public aspirations following the formation of a political government through what he described as a transparent election after nearly a decade and a half.

“People have high expectations from us. We want to quickly implement our election manifesto to fulfil those expectations. Democratic reforms in various law enforcement agencies, including the police, must be prioritised in line with public expectations,” he said.

Emphasising policy-level reform, Salahuddin Ahmed stated that rebuilding public confidence requires structural changes within institutions under the Home Ministry, along with improvements in ethical standards and accountability mechanisms.

He said adequate manpower recruitment and financial backing are critical to implementing reform measures. “To achieve this goal, we need to recruit the necessary manpower. Budget approval from the Ministry of Finance is also an important issue. With new recruitment and coordinated efforts from everyone, we aim to accomplish our objectives,” he added.

The minister called for a comprehensive and time-bound development plan for the police and other law enforcement agencies, instructing department heads to prepare detailed recommendations. These proposals will help determine priority areas and guide the formulation and implementation of a reform roadmap under the ministry’s policy framework.

The meeting was attended by Secretary (Routine Responsibilities) of the Ministry of Home Affairs Md Delwar Hossain, Inspector General of Police Baharul Alam, and heads of various departments, organisations and relevant divisions under the ministry.

The directive signals the government’s focus on governance reform, institutional accountability and strengthening public trust in law enforcement agencies as part of its broader administrative agenda.