The law enforcement agencies, including Sylhet Metropolitan Police (SMP), have taken special security measures to control law and order situation in the city ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr. Criminal incidents like robbery, theft, mugging and extortion have increased in the industrial and port city Sylhet as the biggest festival of the Muslims draws near. Members of the law enforcing agencies are patrolling the city streets regularly to provide security to passengers, shoppers as well as city dwellers.
SMP Commissioner Md Mizanur Rahman said to ensure smooth and jubilant Eid celebration, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB-9), police and Detective Branch (DB) personnel, both in uniform and plainclothes, are discharging security duty actively at different strategic points of the city, including bus terminals, railway station, river ports and launch and ferry ghats to avert any untoward situation.’
A large number of law enforcers are now working to check snatching, toll collection and nagging traffic congestion, he said. The SMP and district police are monitoring plying of auto- rickshaws, cars and microbuses at all strategic intersections in the city and on its outskirts to thwart all kinds of criminal activities, the SMP chief added.
The special security measures have already come into effect and those will continue until the offices open after Eid celebration and return of the holidaymakers to their destinations, Safiqur Rahman further said. The city dwellers have been urged to take police help in case of carrying big amounts of money in the city areas, the SMP boss added.
Director of RAB-9, Sylhet said over cell phone, ‘RAB is keeping a close watch on several important places, including shopping malls and entry and exit points of the city, so that law and order situation remains normal.
‘Moreover, several teams of police are patrolling the city streets as well as vulnerable areas of the district and conducting special raids in the town to arrest the criminals,’ he added.
he further said that he also instructed of RAB-9 personnel to monitor movement of vehicles on the highways for safe journey of the homebound people.
Assistant Commissioner of Detective Branch (DB) of SMP told that, ‘We have set up check posts and deployed a huge number of policemen at all the important places and markets’ entrances in the city.’
‘Besides, uninformed policemen and plainclothes detectives, many of whom are females, wearing burqa, will be posted at different crowed places to catch the criminals’ he said further.
Claiming that shoppers are now safer than previous years, he said a number of teams of plainclothes DB police are moving in and around the shopping malls and terminals in the guise of customers and passengers.
Superintendent of Police (SP), Sylhet Nure Alam Mina said several mobile teams of district police is checking the buses, trucks, private cars and microbuses at different strategic points to check movement of the criminals and drug and arms transportation. Officers-in-charge (OC) of all police stations under Sylhet district have already been strictly instructed to remain vigilant in their respective areas to restrict suspected criminals and their activities, SP stressed.
