`No alternative to reform in making police people-friendly`

Speakers at a roundtable have said that there is no alternative to reform in making Bangladesh Police a truly people-friendly and humane force.

They were speaking at the roundtable “Bangladesh Police Reform: Perspective Citizen Thought” organized by the Bangladesh Retired Police Officers Welfare Association at the Tofazzal Hossain Manik Mia Hall of the National Press Club on Saturday. 

President of the association retired Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of police Dr. M. Akbar Ali presided over the roundtable. Retired DIG Dr. Md. Matiar Rahman presented the keynote speech at the event while editor and publisher of the Bengali daily Amar Desh, Dr. Mahmudur Rahman addressed the meeting as the chief discussant. 

Former Inspector General of Police (IGP) Ashraful Huda delivered the address of welcome at the meeting, moderated by Vice President of Bangladesh Retired Police Officers Welfare Association Md. Abdur Rahman Khan.

Judges, government employees, academics, journalists, political leaders and well-wishers were present at the roundtable meeting.

Presenting the keynote address, Dr. Md. Matiar Rahman said that the existing challenges of the police force are colonial laws and structures, human resource and technological shortages, corruption and lack of accountability, work pressure and mental health problems.

He said that to make the police force a disciplined and humane force and service-oriented one, it requires modern and people-oriented lawmaking, ensuring transparency and accountability, professional training and attitude change, freeing the police from unwanted political influence, implement community policing, increasing the use of technology and efficiency. 

Matiar said that the formation of an independent police commission is the need of the time to ensure impartial monitoring of the work of the police force. 

“The commission will include former and current judges, government officials, human rights activists, journalists and civil society representatives, including women,” he opined.

Speaking on the occasion, editor of the Bengali daily Amar Desh Dr. Mahmudur Rahman said that in order to reform the police, the police must be freed from political influence.

He also said the police must be freed from corruption and training for the force must be modernized and updated. 

Dr Rahman also pleaded for formation of a separate committee for internal control of the police.

He said that the standard of the police has deteriorated due to political influence. 

He said that during Sheikh Hasina's regime, there was no 'chain of command' in the police. 

“Before the July mass uprising, the police were monstrous. Today, the police are demoralized. To hold a free, fair and impartial election, measures must be taken to restore the morale of the police,” he said. 

He also mentioned that this is the major challenge of the interim government.

Recalling his remand period, Rahman questioned, is the police responsible for the image crisis that the police are facing today? 

He said those who were in the DB (Detective Branch) at that time were either leader at the central or other levels of the Chhatra League. 

“The July mass uprising was inevitable for this,” he opined.

He said that the target of all now is to make arrangements so that another fascist does not   return.
 
Professor Dr. Borhan Uddin Khan, a teacher in the Law Department of Dhaka University, said that there should be a separate law for the promotion and posting of the police. 

General Secretary of the Khelafat Majlis, Bangladesh Ahmed Abdul Quader said that the police should never be used to protect the interests of the ruling party and for this necessary reforms in the police should be made.

Police Reform Commission member Zarif Rahman said that exclusion of police reform from the consensus commission is a kind of dishonesty with the July mass uprising. 

Former Justice Farid Ahmed said that the need for police reform is a must  because of the role of the police during the previous government.

Jahangirnagar University Vice Chancellor Professor Dr. Mohammad Kamrul Ahsan said that there are many good people in the police who want change and the police should be given a chance to improve.

AB Party General Secretary Barrister Asaduzzaman Fuaad said that changes should be made in the police recruitment system and police members should be given respectable salaries and allowances. 

BNP Information and Research Affairs Secretary Azizul Bari Helal said that Sheikh Hasina had turned the police into an enemy of the people. 

Professor Md Shariful Islam of the Department of Political Science, University of Dhaka, said that the police must be reformed by changing colonial laws.