United News of Bangladesh

The Council of Advisers on Thursday (December 04) approved the draft Police Commission Ordinance-2025, aiming to make the police more people-friendly one. Once the ordinance is promulgated, there will be a five-member commission under it, headed by a retired Supreme Court judge and the commission will make recommendations to the government on issues such as investigating and resolving citizen complaints, resolving grievances of police members. Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus chaired the meeting the Chief Adviser’s Office. Environment, Forest and Climate Change Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan briefed reporters at the Foreign Service Academy after the meeting. Read more: Prof Yunus urges police to ensure ‘festive, peaceful historic election’ Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam and Deputy Press Secretary Abul Kalam Azad Majumder also spoke at the briefing. Adviser Rizwana said the commission members will be a retired district judge, a retired officer not below the rank of Additional Inspector General of Police, a professor of a university who can be working or retired and a person with at least 15 years of experience in human rights and good governance. Responding to a question, she said the names of the commission members will come through a selection committee and the government will make appointments based on that. Regarding the purpose of the formation of the commission, the Adviser said the police will be made people-friendly and people-oriented and this commission will work in collaboration with the government. Read more: 64 districts get SPs through lottery: Home Adviser   The commission will recommend to the government what needs to be done to ensure that the police can work free from influence. Besides, the commission will also identify where the police need to be modernized and what kind of training is needed to make the police human rights sensitive. The meeting of the Council of Advisers also approved the proposal to amend the Representation of the People Order (RPO). The meeting also approved the draft of the National Regulatory Authority Ordinance on building construction. Read more: Bangladesh sees crime spike ahead of polls; police stress preparedness The meeting gave in-principle approval to the Hi-Tech Park Authority Amendment Ordinance.

The government is sincerely working to find a sustainable solution to the persistent waterlogging in Bhabadah area of Jashore, said Environment Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan. Rizwana made the remark while talking to the media at Bhabadah College after visiting the 21-vent sluicegate in Bhabadah on Tuesday. “We have already initiated a feasibility study to address the problem in a permanent manner,” she said, adding that this year, despite challenges, around 17,000 hectares of the 20,000-hectare arable land have been brought under paddy cultivation. She said the government is committed to resolving the issue in consultation with local stakeholders and experts. “Our aim is to at least begin the journey towards a lasting solution by taking people’s inputs and expert opinions into account.” Waterlogging in Jashore’s Bhabadah Beel may hit Aman target To mitigate the possible suffering during the upcoming monsoon, the government has undertaken several interim measures, including excavation of the Amdanga canal, he said. “It hasn’t been widened as much as initially planned, but that would have required significantly more time,” she said. “We’re also set to begin dredging the Hari, Bhadra, and Upper Bhadra rivers with the support of the Bangladesh Army to ensure water doesn't stagnate like last year,” the adviser said. Rizwana acknowledged that some natural factors are beyond control but assured locals that all efforts are being made to prevent further distress. She said the Power Ministry has taken steps to exempt farmers from paying commercial rates for irrigation, offering relief to those whose lands remained submerged for five months. Bhabadah people seek remedy to river siltation  Lt Gen (retd) Jahangir Alam Chowdhury, adviser to the Ministries of Home and Agriculture; Farooq-e-Azam, adviser to the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief; Lt. Gen. (retd.) Abdul Hafiz, special assistant to Chief Adviser; Water Resources Secretary Nazmul Ahsan; Agriculture Secretary Dr. Emdad Ullah Mian; BGB Director General Maj. Gen. Mohammad Ashraful Islam; Brig. Gen. Mohammad Osman Sarwar of the 24 Engineer Construction Battalion were, among others, present. Earlier, the advisers attended a military-led briefing at Nawapara Government College on the Bhabadah waterlogging crisis and potential solutions.