Allegation of taking bribe and extortion against Constable to Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police has turned into an ‘open secret’ as some officials have raised the issue to the force’s high ups in a meeting recently.
The complaints were raised in a quarterly crime-related closed-door meeting held at Police Headquarters (PHQs) where the chief of the force, heads of metropolitans, ranges, special units, districts and other high officials of the police were present, according to meeting sources.
Taking of a huge amount of bribe for recruiting, posting and transferring is now an open secret topic allegedly based on influence of many political leaders and bureaucrats and thereby tarnishing the image of the force, the officials alleged.
They mentioned that most of the police personnel are involved with serious crimes like extortion, arrest business and drug peddling to collect bribe money that generally goes to the high officials.
The meeting also discussed on law and order situation, drug peddling, militancy, terrorism, acid throwing, killing, women repression, political clash, upcoming polls and some other sensational issues.
The police officials raised the allegations for the first time to the newly appointed Inspector General of Police (IGP), Dr Mohammad Javed Patwari in the meeting.
An official alleged that some Officers-in-Charge (OCs) took their posting in suitable
police stations by paying Tk 50 lakh and they remained busy to earn the money with many times more that they spent.
“A top officer of a police station has to pay a bribe of Tk 30 lakh to Tk 1.5 crore for his posting. A Sub-Inspector needs to pay lakhs of taka for transfer,” said a Deputy Commissioner of Police of Dhaka Metropolitan Police.
He came up with the remarks as the new IGP wanted to know from the senior officials about their views on reports of anomalies in Constable recruitment and police involvement in drug trading, according to participants in the conference.
“Sir, please instruct DIG sirs not to take bribe over posting of inspectors as OCs,” he said drawing attention of IGP Javed Patwary.
DIGs and Metropolitan Police Commissioners from different divisional cities are taking bribes over posting of OCs and transfer of SIs from range to district, he added.
“It’s a shame for us that we even take lakhs of taka for appointment of Constables, and the money goes to the SPs.
“If an OC gets appointed by paying lakhs of taka in bribe, he will want to indulge in robbery, stealing and drug trading to make money. The OC will think there is nothing wrong with all these,” he added.
The job of a Constable could be secured by paying Tk 10-14 lakh and that of an SI for Tk-15-20 lakh, according to police officials and some recently recruited constables who talked to the Correspondent.
Meanwhile, two special teams of Police Headquarters have started the investigation on bribery and other irregularities in the force as part of the zero tolerance of the force that created deep panic among the corrupted police personnel, a DIG of police headquarters said.
They are in fearing of losing job and other punishments as per the declaration of the new IGP, he said.
A Superintendent of Police (SP) and Additional SP level officers will supervise the upcoming Police Constable recruiting process to be fare as per the instruction of the Police Headquarters. The PHQs on December 22 issued a circular to begin recruitment of 8,500 male and 1,500 female constables from across the country on January 16. The recruitment was postponed on January 14 following instructions from the prime minister.
The recruit process will start on February 22, he added.
Police Headquarters has taken a ‘zero tolerance’ policy against wicked staff in the force, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal told the parliament on February 18.
Mohammad Javed Patwary embarrassed and said that those face action who will be involved in bribe, extortion, arrest business and drug peddling etc.
If they have minimum shame then they will leave all bad acts, he said.
Additional Inspector General of Police Mokhlesur Rahman warned that those who victimize people putting Yaba pills in their pockets would not be spared.
