Police HQ says IGP did not use ‘crossfire’ to mean extrajudicial killing

The Bangladesh Police Headquarters has clarified that Inspector General of Police (IGP) Md Ali Hossain Fakir did not use the term “crossfire” to mean extrajudicial killing or punishment outside the judicial process.

The clarification came in response to news reports and headlines published after the IGP’s remarks at the inauguration of Community Bank’s Chawkbazar Islamic Banking Branch in Dhaka today (26 October).

According to the Police Headquarters, the IGP was expressing the police force’s firm commitment to taking effective action against drug traders, terrorists, extortionists and criminals who pose threats to public safety. He used the term “crossfire” in its literal sense while referring to strict law enforcement, not to extrajudicial killings or punishment outside the judicial process, the statement said.

Citing statistics on attacks against police, the headquarters said 176 attacks on police personnel occurred during the first 10 months of 2026 while they were maintaining law and order, arresting criminals, preventing illegal activities and performing official duties.

Four police personnel were killed and 370 seriously injured in those attacks, it added.

The statement described Bangladesh Police as the state’s principal law enforcement agency, responsible for preventing crime, arresting offenders, maintaining public order and protecting people’s lives and property.

It said police personnel sometimes face direct resistance and attacks from criminals, organised assailants and individuals who defy the law while carrying out these responsibilities.

The Police Headquarters also said the country’s existing laws, particularly the Penal Code 1860, the Code of Criminal Procedure 1898 and the Police Act 1861, recognise police officers’ right to self-defence.

Meanwhile, the headquarters said the IGP’s remarks about journalists at the same event had caused confusion.

It clarified that he had not intended to make a sweeping comment about journalists and that the remark was made inadvertently.

The statement reiterated Bangladesh Police’s commitment to protecting people’s lives and property and upholding the rule of law with professionalism and impartiality while respecting human rights.