Industries Minister Amir Hossain Amu on Wednesday said steps have been taken to hold elections to three city corporations – Rajshahi, Barishal, Sylhet – in a free and fair manner on July 30.
“The government is taking steps to hold the elections in a free and fair manner,” he told newsmen after a meeting of the cabinet committee on law and order in the Home Ministry conference room here.
Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal and Expatriates Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Nurul Islam BSc joined the meeting.
Among others, two secretaries of the Home Ministry, Director General of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) Major General M Shafeenul Islam, Inspector General of Police (IGP) Dr Javed Patwari, Director General of Ansar and VDP Major General Sheikh Pasha Habib Uddin, Director General of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) Benazir Ahmed, Commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Asaduzzaman Miah and officials concerned were present in the meeting.
Amir Hossain Amu, who chaired the meeting, said the elections in the three city corporations will be held peacefully like the polls in Gazipur and Khulna cities.
Regarding law and order in the country, he said the situation is now under control as all types of crimes including violence, abduction, robbery, women repression and rape have reduced in the last four months.
The Industries Minister said drives against drug peddlers would be continued until elimination of drug abuse in the country.
“We have declared zero tolerance against illegal drugs. Between May 18 and July 15, some 25,575 regular cases were filed in the anti-drug drives. Many were sentenced through the mobile courts,” he said.
Amu said the anti-drug campaign is progressing successfully, adding, “We seek your support to eliminate drug abuse in the country.”
Members of the law enforcement agencies arrested 37,225 identified drug dealers, he said, adding that 89,589 prisoners are now in prisons and 42 percent of those are involved in drug related crimes.
Amu said the government would not spare anyone involved in drug peddling as the government led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina adopted a ‘zero tolerance’ policy against drug abuse in the country.
