Bangladesh Police introduced tourist police, a new unit of police, to ensure security of tourists and protect tourism sites.
Inspector General of Police (IGP) Nur Mohammad introduced the new unit at Cox's Bazar on Sunday.
Police Headquarters sources said like other units of police tourist police will work at important tourists spots under the supervision of the concerned superintendents of police (SP) in the districts. The unit will discharge their duties round the clock to chick crimes and guide the tourists.
Assistant Inspector General Hasan Ul Haider of Police Headquarters said the main objectives of the tourist police unit is to provide assistance to the tourists, building sense of security among them on the sites and handling the tourists specially foreign ones.
Existing patrol teams of police at different tourist sites can hardly interact with foreign tourists in English and they remain so busy in tackling crimes and they cannot pay attention to the tourist.
Sources said several lakhs of tourists, including foreign ones, visit important sites in the country but they very often fall victims of snatching that tarnish the image of the county and hamper emerging tourism sector of the country.
Haider said in phases tourist police unit will be introduced in different districts on the basis of proposal form concerned SPs where there are important tourist spots.
He added, "We received proposals form the SPs of Bandarban and Patuakhali. We sent the proposal to the government and after the government approval we will form tourist police unit in the districts."
Tourist police will not only ensure security of the tourists but also to play role in protecting bio-diversity, ecological balance and natural beauty by stopping hill cutting, sand and stone lifting, hunting birds and animals and cutting down trees by unscrupulous people.
A total of 77 police personnel under the command of an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) will serve as tourist police at Cox's Bazar. But, initially 15 tourist police headed by an inspector started functioning at Shaikat Police Outpost in Cox's Bazar, said AKM Kamrul Ahsan, information officer of Police Headquarters.
Sources said, of the 77 tourist police personnel in Cox's Bazar, there will be one ASP, one inspector, three female sub-inspectors, four sergeants, 16 ASIs, and 42 constables.