Duty\\\'s call

Most members of his fraternity are likely to scoff at his foolishness, others may feel pity for the poor soul but at least he could establish that there is still exception to the general moral aberration in the police. Parvez Hossain, a 27 years old tourist police, did what law enforcers usually try to ignore. He chased muggers snatching a cell phone and money from a holidaymaker in the beach area of Cox's Bazar when the victim cried for help. At one point he could hold one of the muggers and during the scuffle the culprit started stabbing the constable indiscriminately. Parvez's colleagues arrested the knife-wielding mugger but the injuries he sustained proved fatal.

Parvez has responded to the call of duty the way few members of the law enforcement agencies are expected to do these days. Desperate to get free from his grasp, the criminal chose the ultimate trick his kind is capable of playing. This took the life of a valiant and honest member of the police. Had he not grappled with the mugger and let go his would-be killer, he would perhaps be able to save his life. But he did not. He performed his duty at the expense of his life.

This is what makes Parvez as a constable different from most of his peers. When there are allegations galore that the police stand silent spectators at the time of felony of various types and degrees taking place under their nose, this stands to be a clear instance of the opposite pole. A number of machete attacks and molestation of women have taken place on the pavement and road close to the Teachers Students Centre of Dhaka University (TSC) where police contingents were deployed on the occasion of Ekushey book fair and Pahela Boishakh. Noted teacher and writer Humayun Azad and Avijit Roy, an online activist, came under such typical attacks in which the latter died instantly. If there was one Parvez among the police teams there, he might have not saved the victims but at least the attackers could not escape the way they did.

Eulogising his sacrifice for duty's call, however, should not blur the vision that the security of the law enforcers' life too is an important issue. Usually petty criminals like muggers are not expected to attack men in uniform with the intention to kill. Now that the police in particular have compromised their reputation to a large extent, the criminals have the audacity to challenge its members in such physical confrontations. Are the police trained enough to take up the challenge and give law-breakers a few lessons of what physical fitness and superior training can do?

Sure enough, the time has long past when unfit constables carrying the old model rifles would be enough to cause criminals to take to their heels in panic. Their arms should be light and easy to handle. But then the argument that the responsible use of such weapons is also a must should not go amiss. The way Limon was shot and later on attempts made to cover up the whole issue is a sheer disgrace for the police force.

Perhaps the members of the police by themselves are not to blame. It is the system, deliberately left disorganised and amenable to corruption, that needs to be changed for the better. When young men like Parvez join the police, they come clean but at one time or other have to give in to temptation. The need is to remove the causes and the police in this country will give a very good account of themselves like Parvez did.