Home minister Salahuddin Ahmed on Wednesday said the government was following a policy of ‘suppressing the wicked and protecting the virtuous’ in combating crime, but noted that expecting a revolutionary change in the country’s law-and-order situation overnight would be unrealistic.

He said this while speaking as chief guest at a doa and discussion organised in front of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) central office at Naya Paltan in the capital. The BNP organised the event to observe Eid-e-Miladunnabi, marking the birth and death anniversary of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).

Before the home minister’s speech, BNP acting secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi referred to four recent murders in Rangpur, stating that the public wanted all criminals brought to justice under the leadership of the home minister.

He added that while the current law-and-order situation could not be described as worse than before, people expected further improvement.

In response, Ahmed said those involved in various crimes, including the widely discussed Rangpur killings, had been brought under the law within a reasonable timeframe.

‘From the child rape and murder in Mirpur to nationally discussed or less publicised crimes, action has been taken in every case, and the accused have been produced before courts through due legal process,’ he said.

The minister added that law enforcement personnel were being rewarded with certificates and medals for good performance, while agencies other than the police were being brought under accountability and transparency mechanisms.

Ahmed noted that law enforcement agencies had been found in a fragile state following the 2024 student-led mass uprising, but their morale had been recovering over the past six months. He urged citizens to follow the life and teachings of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) in governance and daily life.

Water resources minister Shahid Uddin Chowdhury Annie, Dhaka South City Corporation administrator Abdus Salam, BNP lawmaker Khairul Kabir Khokon, former Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal president Habib-un-Nabi Khan Sohel, and leaders and activists of BNP-affiliated organisations were also present at the programme.