State Minister for Textiles and Jute Shariful Alam has directed law enforcement agencies to launch a stronger crackdown on robbery in the haor region, saying police already have records of known offenders and should act decisively against them.
Speaking as the chief guest at the monthly meeting of the Kishoreganj District Law and Order Committee on Sunday, the minister said police should use existing criminal records to arrest identified robbers and intensify operations in vulnerable areas.
"Those involved in robbery are already on record. Arrest them based on their previous records. Raise public awareness as well. Even if they cannot be caught immediately, conducting operations for a few days will force them to leave the area. We will not tolerate any form of wrongdoing," he said.
The minister also reiterated the government's zero-tolerance policy against drug trafficking. He said law enforcement agencies already have lists of identified drug dealers and urged them to take legal action without waiting for narcotics to be recovered during raids.
Shariful Alam also stressed the need to eliminate corruption in public administration and development projects. He warned that no one, regardless of political affiliation, would be spared if found involved in misappropriating government funds.
Expressing concern over the widespread practice of subcontracting public works, he said projects awarded through multiple layers of subcontracting often compromise quality. He instructed officials of the Roads and Highways Department and the Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) to ensure that government projects are implemented without unauthorized subcontracting.
The minister also announced that a development project worth Tk 180–190 million has been prepared for the historic Sholakia Eidgah and is expected to receive approval within the next few weeks.
He further said that a long-standing obstacle to acquiring 103 acres of land for Kishoreganj University had been resolved after approval from the Ministry of Land, clearing the way for the acquisition process.
The meeting was chaired by Kishoreganj Deputy Commissioner Sohana Nasrin and attended by Members of Parliament Mazharul Islam and Jalal Uddin, Superintendent of Police Mizanur Rahman, Kishoreganj Municipality Administrator Zebun Nahar Shammi, Acting Civil Surgeon Nazmul Karim, political leaders, business representatives and members of civil society.
