Editorial Desk :
Like any other country of the world we have in Bangladesh a regular police force to maintain the internal law and order, but ironically here it is the police department itself that has become a nuisance and a serious reason for worry for the citizens as far as citizens’ protection from crimes is concerned. The crimes that the police personnel are supposed to check such as robbery, murder, kidnapping, drug dealing, land grabbing, rape as well as fraud are committed by the police personnel themselves on a regular basis.
Since the launch of a complaint box from November 2017 by the police department, according to a report published in The New Nation on Friday, citizens have lodged a total of 61,544 complaints against police in the last four and a half years, or 13,676 on an average in a year. Certainly, this is not the actual figure of grievances against the police. As people in general fear the police force and avoid them, people’s grievances just remain unreported and buried. Considering the present intimidating situation in Bangladesh, that even 61,544 people have shown the courage to lodge complaints against police is itself a good sign however.
The report says that the complaints against the police have been increasing day by day and the police officials are also embarrassed due to the increase of such complaints. Even adopting various initiatives, the police headquarters has not been able to prevent the crimes committed by the policemen.
However, more dangerous than the crimes of robbery, murder, kidnapping, drug dealing, land grabbing, rape, fraud, etc., in the recent years the police force has become a tool for the government that wants to stay in power illegitimately in what is called a police state. Often it is noticed that top officials of the department speak and act like activists of the ruling party.
There is little doubt that this serious irregularity will spawn all other crimes and
that is in reality happening in the present Bangladesh. Unless the police high-ups admit this frankly, no meaningful change will occur in the quality of the service of police. Mere departmental actions against the police aberrations cannot rectify the force. Politicising the police and letting them involve in corruption to continue in power is not the way to organise the force as honest law enforcers.
The justice system of the country is damaged by police corruption. The courts are also not serious enough to make it difficult for police to act dishonestly.
Sending anybody arrested by police to prison as well as police remand is also contributing greatly to commission of crimes by police. The police also are taking full advantage to do crime silently for the opportunity offered by the present corrupt politics and an obliging judiciary. The truth is politicisation is corrupting every institution entrusted to deliver good governance. The people are helpless as they are not getting the protection of the law.
The real blame for crime in police lies with the politics of the highly-placed police officers. This should be realised by those in command of the police, otherwise police will cease to be trustworthy law enforcers. Crimes committed by police will go on increasing if the present system of government remains unchanged.
