The government on Monday said that it introduced new uniforms for the police, the Rapid Action Battalion and the Bangladesh Ansar and Village Defence Party.
The police will get iron colour, the RAB will use green olive and the Ansar will use golden wheat, home adviser retired lieutenant general Jahangir Alam Chowdhury told reporters at a briefing after the 6th law and order meeting of advisers at the secretariat in the capital Dhaka on the day.
鈥榃e have finalised the new uniforms in the meeting. Members of the forces will get new dresses in phases,鈥� said Jahangir.
He said that they had to change their overall activities including, attitudes, alongside uniforms.
鈥極ur most important priority is to stop corruption,鈥� he added.
The interim government made the decision amid demands raised to reform the police force and change their dresses after the ouster of Awami League regime on August 5, 2024, amid a student-led mass uprising.
In the July-August mass uprising, 834 people were killed, according to a liberation war affairs ministry gazette notification issued on January 16.
This is the first final list of the martyrs of uprising prepared by the government that comprises names of 834 martyrs from across the country.
Asked about the government鈥檚 move to make changes in uniforms, Police Headquarters assistant inspector general of police Enamul Haque Sagar said, 鈥楾he police are now committed to ensuring services to people. We hope that the new uniforms will put a positive impact on the police force鈥檚 duty.鈥�
Former IGP Abdul Quiyium said that a change in the mindset of police was more important than the change in uniforms.
鈥業t is more important to increase capacity and morale of the force. The government should arrest the police officials who were involved in the killing. But, it has now changed uniforms,鈥� he added.
On December 14, 2024, the Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearance in its first provisional report submitted to the interim government recommended disbanding RAB for its involvement in enforced disappearances.
On December 10, 2021, the United States Treasury Department imposed sanctions on the RAB for human rights abuse.
On January 15, the Police Reform Commission in its report recommended giving all power to the National Human Rights Commission to investigate human rights violations by members of law enforcement agencies.