# Home Minister pledges strict action against criminals, irrespective of political ties *Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed has reaffirmed the government's zero tolerance policy on crime, stressing that criminals will face legal action irrespective of political affiliations.* September 1, 2026 · Bangladesh Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed has warned that criminals will receive no protection or leniency based on political affiliation, reaffirming the government’s 'zero tolerance' policy toward crime and disorder. 'A criminal is a criminal. There is no scope to spare anyone based on political identity or party affiliation,' the minister said while speaking at a meeting on Sylhet’s overall law and order and development issues at the Sylhet Circuit House. 'Offenders would face strict legal action regardless of their political background,' he emphasized. Ahmed ordered authorities to prepare 'completely impartial' lists of terrorists, extortionists, drug traffickers, and smugglers operating in the region. He stressed that neither innocent people should be targeted for political reasons nor genuine criminals shielded because of their affiliations. The minister instructed the Sylhet Range Police and Sylhet Metropolitan Police (SMP) to strictly enforce the'reward and punishment' policy introduced in the police force, demonstrating tangible progress within a month. The Home Minister also ordered a review of cases filed following the anti-discrimination movement, noting that many First Information Reports (FIRs) had named hundreds or even thousands of people without proper scrutiny. In some cases, third parties had filed complaints instead of victims’ families, allegedly using the cases to pursue personal interests, harass businesspeople, or extort money. Such practices, he noted, could deny genuine victims and families of those killed in the movement access to justice. Referring to the killing of Chattogram’s first martyr, Wasim Akram, the minister said the victim’s family had been unable to file the case, while another political figure filed a complaint naming around 1,500 people as accused. He said video footage and other circumstantial evidence could have been used to identify the actual perpetrators. The minister therefore instructed authorities to scrutinize relevant cases in the Sylhet Range and metropolitan areas and remove innocent and unnecessarily harassed individuals from the accused lists in accordance with Section 173 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. On the prolonged closure of sand and stone quarries in Sylhet, Ahmed said a national committee headed by him was working to balance environmental protection with employment opportunities for local communities. He instructed officials to coordinate with the Attorney General’s Office to resolve legal complications and reduce delays in court proceedings related to the quarries. The minister also called for stronger monitoring along the border to prevent environmental degradation and changes in river courses caused by hill torrents. Ahmed warned against the growing culture of mob action or anarchy, urging people to use democratic channels to press their demands rather than blocking roads or laying siege to establishments. He claimed that incidents of mob violence had fallen by more than 50 percent in 2026 compared with 2025 and urged authorities to make Sylhet completely free of such incidents. Commerce Minister Khandakar Abdul Muktadir, speaking as a special guest, called for stronger police action to make Sylhet drug-free and improve law and order, urging police to target the region’s top traffickers. The meeting was attended by several key officials, including Sylhet City Corporation Administrator Abdul Quiyum Choudhury, MPs from Sylhet, BGB Director General Major General Mohammad Ashrafuzzaman Siddiqui, and senior administrative and police officials. The Home Minister directed law enforcement agencies to strengthen preventive policing, rapidly collect intelligence on criminal activities, and take timely action against offenders. ## Sources - BSS --- Source: https://pulsetoday.com.bd/en/bangladesh/home-minister-no-leniency-criminals-politics