Home Adviser to the Interim government Lieutenant General (retd) M Jahangir Alam Chowdhury has sought cooperation from the United Kingdom (UK) for police reform, as the government has taken an initiative to make the law enforcing agency skilled, fair, and people friendly.
“We have taken an initiative to reform the police for building a capable, unbiased and people friendly force where the UK can cooperate by providing necessary training and other support,” he said.
The advisor made the remark when British High Commissioner to Bangladesh Sarah Cooke made a courtesy call on the advisor at his secretariat office on Wednesday, reports BSS.
The UK envoy assured the advisor of providing necessary support in this regard saying a UK expert team will visit Bangladesh by next month.
They also discussed various issues relating to mutual interests including the issue of combating terrorism, illegal migration, flood rehabilitation and Rohingya repatriation.
About investigation into the forced disappearance in Bangladesh during the previous regime, the home advisor said the government has formed a five member commission.
The commission will unearth the facts of disappearing a good number of people, mostly opponents, reportedly in hands of law enforcing agencies, during the immediate past government.
The UK high commissioner laid importance on fair trials of the incidents and human rights violations that occurred in recent months to fulfill the expectation of Bangladeshi people.
Those who were involved with the incidents should be brought under the purview of speedy trial, she said.
The Home Advisor informed the British envoy of the arrival of a United Nations fact finding mission in Bangladesh.
Expressing her government’s desire to extend all support to the interim government Sarah Cooke said the UK is working together with Bangladesh in the areas of combating terrorism.
“We want to enhance mutual cooperation in this field in future”, she added.
The UK diplomat has also sought cooperation of the advisor for repatriation of illegal Bangladeshis living in the UK.
Standard operational procedure (SOP) will be followed in this regard, the advisor said.
While the advisor sought UK assistance for rehabilitation and repatriation of the Rohingyas, the UK envoy said the UK is providing second highest financial assistance to the Rohingya.
The UK has spent 400 million pounds sterling in the last seven years for providing assistance to the Rohingyas, she said. The UK is also working with the UNSC to focus the Rohingya issue in the international arena.
The home advisor sought British support to help the flood affected people of Bangladesh.
British Embassy’s First secretary (political) Doyin Adele-Shiyanbola, immigration liaison and Migration manager Lee Mac Rae along with high officials from the Ministry of Home Affairs, among others, were present.
