The former IGP AKM Shahidul Haque struck the right note when he said that neither the political power nor bureaucracy wants a change in the police department of Bangladesh. He also uttered some hard but dismal truths regarding Bangladesh police at the launching ceremony of his book “Police Jiboner Smriti: Swoirachar Patan Theke Jangi Daman” in the capital on Saturday.
From his experience, the former IGP recounted that the ruling parties here want the police to do whatever they want as if the police are their own property. We can see the truth of what he said about the police right before us. Besides manipulating the judiciary, the Awami League is allegedly using the police to remain in power, turning Bangladesh into a police state. By using the police force, it has curbed all political demonstrations of the opposition infringing upon the democratic rights of people. The reason as to why police have not become a people-friendly force is simply because the political party in power has used police for materializing its own interests.
Bangladesh police themselves are also responsible for their own bad image. Their moral failings and disregard for the law have made themselves controversial. Their neutrality and professionalism have always been questioned so much so that general people nowadays are not even willing to go to the force for help.
Earlier a study of the Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS) revealed that 95 percent urban women of divisional cities were not willing to go to the police for help. Sixty-five per cent women also believed that police, instead of standing beside the victims, put blame on them on the contrary. It is in no way desirable that instead of becoming friends of people, they are actually being feared as they reportedly indulge in various crimes. It is also alleged that on refusal to pay money according to their demand, police arrested and tortured people keeping them behind bars.
Instead of using police for political reasons, the home ministry, as its controlling authority, must now take decisive actions to restrain the force and guide them properly so that they effectively discharge their duties. But for this to happen, the present negative politics of the country has to change. The force is also needed to change itself for acting in favour of the state and people according to the law of the land.
