Dhaka: Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) on Monday urged the city’s house owners and tenants to cooperate with it by providing their detailed information to the police by 15 March next.

Speaking at a press briefing at its headquarters, DMP Commissioner Asaduzzaman Miah also assured the city dwellers that no one will be harassed with the information.

He said they are collecting the information to create a citizen database to check militancy and crimes and thus build a safe Dhaka.

‘As part of the one of important tasks of beat policing, introductory information about house owners and their tenants living under the DMP are being collected in a specific form,’ he said.

The DMP boss said they have already sent the form to all the houses in the city. ‘We’ve also got back many forms while many others are yet to submit their forms. Hope, we’ll get those back by 15 March as our officers are working on it.’

He urged all those who have not yet received the form to contact their respective police stations and collect it. ‘The information will fully be protected…no one else will be able to access it. No citizen will suffer for providing the information.’  

Asaduzzaman said there is a legal obligation for all citizens to assist the police by giving information about crimes and preventing crimes. ‘It’s also a social duty of a good citizen to cooperate with the police in policing activities. It’s not possible to gain a success in policing activities without the overall cooperation of people.’

In the one-page form, various information about tenants, including their dates of birth, phone, national ID and passport numbers, holding numbers, photographs and also information about their housemaids and the drivers, has been sought.

Justifying their move, Asaduzzaman said they are collecting the information as now different criminals and militants out of knowledge of the landlords are taking their house rent by giving false addresses and information. ‘This is creating a scope for them to carry out their criminal activities without any disturbance.’

About beat policing, the DMP chief sad the activities of beat policing began in the city in November last year to prevent crimes.

He said they have created 287 beats in the DMP areas. Each beat is comprised of a police inspector and other police members who work with the community members of a specific area to check crimes.