BNP Standing Committee member Salahuddin Ahmed has said that filing of numerous cases and the incidents of 'mob justice' following the fall of the previous regime have done the biggest damage to the image of the current interim government.
"Since August 5, 2024, the two major things that have harmed this government are the sheer volume of cases filed and the mob justice that followed. These have caused the biggest damage, not only to the government but to the people themselves," he said.
In a single case, charges were levelled against up to 5,000 people -- many of whom had no involvement at all. And yet, the police recorded the case, he pointed out.
"Earlier, they wouldn't even accept cases from us. This is a stark contrast to my own experience when I was abducted; my wife couldn't even file a general diary. The police said they couldn't accept it on my behalf," he said.
The BNP leader made these remarks at a roundtable on police reform, organised by The Daily Star at Karwan Bazar on Saturday. The newspaper's editor and publisher Mahfuz Anam chaired the event.
Among others, former Supreme Court Justice Farid Ahmed, SUJAN Secretary Badiul Alam Majumder, TIB Executive Director Iftekharuzzaman, Jamat-e-Islami leader Mobarak Hossain, NCP leader Zaben Rashin also spoke.
Sharing his personal experience as a former magistrate and bureaucrat, Salahuddin said, "Since the law gives the police the power to record cases, they also misuse it. If they refuse to take an FIR, you can go to court, but the court will send it back to the same police station for inquiry. How can we expect a fair inquiry when the police station has already refused to take the case?"
He said, "Everyone fears the police. In my career, I even saw some officers-in-charge plan robberies at TNO houses just because of bad relations. This mentality must change. Unless there's a change in mindset and ethics, no law alone can bring about reforms."
While BNP supports replacing the 1861 Police Act, Salahuddin said that reform must come not only from the police but also from politicians and bureaucrats through 'mental reform'.
Former IGP Nurul Huda has expressed doubt about whether the damage done to the police in the last one and a half years could be recovered even in 50 years.
He says, "Reform needs strong political will. But I doubt if the damage done to Bangladesh Police in the last 18 months can ever be recovered, even in the next 50 years."
He also has criticised the recent police commission, calling it "one of the most hopeless commissions" since it avoids addressing the real problems.
He points out, "If you cannot separate the police from the executive government, real reform won't happen. During one regime, a person may have 18 cases and spend 20 years in jail, but after the regime change, all cases vanish. Police officers are not fools - they know which way the wind blows."
The current police chief said, "We need functional independence - the freedom to decide whom to arrest, whom to jail, and against whom to file charges,
without political dictation from the ministry.
"Only then can we ensure accountability, transparency, and the rule of law," he said.
Former IGP Baharul Alam reminds that since 2006-07, police themselves have been calling for reforms of the 1861 colonial-era law that gives the government unlimited control over the force. He says, "We had proposed a new Police Act years ago, but for 18 years (2007-2024), nothing happened. If we want a pro-people police, we need some autonomy or independence."
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