Newly appointed Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed has issued strict instructions that officers‑in‑charge (OCs) of police stations must not contact ministers directly, insisting that the chain of command must be maintained at any cost.

The directives came during a meeting with home ministry officials on his first day in office at the Secretariat.

A senior official present confirmed the development to The Daily Star.

Secretaries and officials from different tiers of the ministry attended the meeting.

The official, requesting anonymity, said Salahuddin emphasised organisational discipline, saying an OC’s call must not bypass the hierarchy.

He warned that no lobbying or corruption would be tolerated, and pledged a zero‑tolerance policy against wrongdoing.

The home minister urged officials to focus on their duties and avoid unnecessary matters beyond their responsibilities. Referring to policing over the past 17 years.

“Instead, the main goal would be to ensure transparency and accountability going forward.”

He also said he believed in evaluating work.

If anyone within the force was involved in a crime, action would be taken immediately after an investigation, the official quoted him as saying, adding that there would be no compromise on these issues.

The minister also highlighted public suffering on the roads, instructing that no programme should cause hardship to citizens.

After the closed-door view-exchange meeting, the home minister spoke to journalists and said the police and other agencies must rebuild their credibility.

“I am saying that the police must become friends of the people. The image that was damaged earlier must be regained.”

Salahuddin said he wanted to build a “totally corruption-free” ministry. “There must be accountability and transparency for everyone. There will be no illegality of any kind.”