Syed Shemul Parvez :
Even adopting various initiatives, the police headquarters has not been able to prevent the crimes committed by of the policemen. The police officers are receiving complaints of involvement of policemen with various crimes including robbery, murder, kidnapping, drug dealing, land grabbing, rape as well as fraud.
Complaints are coming to the Inspector General of Police (IGP) and heads of all police units every day. A police source said that about 61,544 complaints had been received in last 4 and half years.
Police sources said that since the launch of complains box by the former IGP AKM Shahidul Haque on November 13, 2017, complaints against the police have been increasing.
According to the sources, the police officials are also embarrassed due to the increase of such complaints against the police.
Even IGP and senior officials held several meetings on this matter at the police headquarters. Special teams with detectives have been ordered to be formed in each district to prevent such police crimes. District Superintendents of Police have already started the work of forming the team.
According to information received from police sources, complaints against policemen are increasing every year. In 2018, the allegations were found against 14 thousand 402 policemen . The following year this number increased to 14 thousand 512. In 2020, this number increased to 15 thousand 212. Last year (2021), complaints against 16 thousand 418 policemen were filed.
In June this year, more than 1,000 complaints have already been lodged against the police.
Officials said that on July 17, a gang of robbers led by an Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) stole 38 loads of 14-ana gold ornaments from a gold shop employee in front of the capital’s Gabtoli bus terminal.
After the complaint came to the police, the main master of the gang, ASI Zahidul Islam of Rupnagar police station was arrested. When he was interrogated on remand, Zahid admitted his involvement in several other crimes. Even he gave some name of his colleagues those were also involved in this crime.
Last July 8 in Chattogram, four members of Chattogram Metropolitan Police (CMP)
special branch were arrested along with Yaba pills.
They were identified as constables Upal Chakma, Nantu Dash, Kamrul Islam and Md. Ghiyasuddin. At the time, 5 thousand 260 Yaba tablets were recovered from them. On July 14, 40 loads of gold were recovered from the rented house of ASI Babul in Bhanga Bazar of Faridpur.
Crime analysts say that if a member of the police commits a crime, there is a provision of trial against accused in the current law of the country, but in most cases, it is not being implemented. In many cases, criminal offenses are also dealt with under departmental laws. In this case, there is an allegation of concealment by bringing the accused under ‘departmental punishment’. The police normally investigated the allegations raised against the police and punished them. As a result, in most cases the criminals are getting away.
In the developed world, any complaint against the police is tried by a separate commission. If this type of practice is introduced in Bangladesh like those countries, police crime will be reduced to a large extent.
Dhaka University Criminology Department Professor Dr. Zia Rahman said, “To ensure fair trial of policemen involved with crime, the police must be reshaped.” If the capacity of the IGP is not enhanced, there will be no discipline in the police. Still IGP can take action only against policemen from constable to OC, if they commit crimes. But if someone of DC, SP, and DIG rank are involved with crime, IGP has no chance to take action against them. So I think there is no alternative to increase the capacity of the IGP, Dr. Zia added.
When asked, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan said that the members of the police who are committing crimes are being investigated and punished. Many have been arrested. No one is exempted. He also said that the authorities will not take responsibility for the personal misdeeds or crimes of the members of a large force like the police. The present police force is highly disciplined, well regulated and organized. No one can get away with committing a crime here, he said.
DMP’s Intelligence Department (DB) Chief and Additional Police Commissioner Haron Or Rashid said, there are more than two lakh members in the police force. Police force will not take responsibility of any person misdeeds. Didn’t take it before, won’t take it in the future either.
