The government yesterday formed a seven-member high-profile committee for the formation of a new police force styled Industrial Police.

The new police force will accommodate fire fighters and ansar members for policing problems of industries in the country's four industrial zones.

The committee, headed by Golam Hossain, additional secretary of the home ministry, has been asked to submit a complete report on raising the special police force by February 28.

Home Minister Sahara Khatun told reporters after an inter-ministerial meeting at the Secretariat.

The meeting discussed elaborately the formation of the Industrial Police with inclusion of firefighters and Ansars for effective function of the force, she said.

"We have decided in principle to deploy industrial police as soon as possible to check unpleasant incidents in the sector, especially in garment factories."

She said earlier, the home ministry had put forward a proposal to Finance Ministry explaining the necessity of a separate specialised force for maintaining law and order in industrial belts.

The home ministry in the proposal sought 3,000 members for deployment of the force and 2,200 members for initial function, she said.

But the establishment ministry has approved 1,580 members for manning the industrial police, Sahara told the journalists.

According to the home ministry's proposal, the industrial police would consist of four separate units to be primarily deployed in four major industrial zones--Ashulia, Savar, Gazipur, and Narayanganj--at an expenditure of Tk 20.3 crore.

State Minister for Home Shamsul Haque Tuku, Additional Home Secretary Golam Hossain and Inspector General of Police Noor Mohammad attended the meeting.