Dhaka, May 12 -- Inspector General of Police (IGP) Md Ali Hossain Fakir has claimed that the force has regained its image and restored internal discipline after being used as a "repressive force" during the Awami League regime.

Speaking at the Rajarbagh Police Lines on Tuesday, the third day of Police Week, the police chief acknowledged that the force had become "isolated from the people" due to political exploitation over the last 17 years.

"We have been able to regain our image from the state of being a repressive force... and our discipline is returning," he said while addressing the IGP's Badge, Shield Parade, and awards ceremony for arms and drug recovery.

Labelling narcotics as a "major challenge" for the nation's youth, the IGP ...