Foot-dragging with proposed police reforms
Monday, 4 August 2008
EVER since the incumbent government took charge some seventeen months ago, a lot of hope was created that the country's police force would go through sweeping changes, reforms and upgradation in every sphere to make it a people-friendly and professionally more devoted and effective force against crimes. Some changes were brought about by spot orders from the relevant ministry such as the manner in which police stations receive complainants and in other areas of policing. The same were appreciated, by and large, by people and the police on their own showed notable eagerness to embrace these changes. Subsequently, the outline of a comprehensive reform programme for the police was drawn up in which suggestions came aplenty from the police themselves.
The draft of the proposed programme for police reforms that was formulated has been at the highest policy making level of the government for consideration and for the fastest introduction and implementation, upon its approval. But for reasons unknown, the proposed plan for action has been lying in a state of hibernation. No initiative is noted in adopting and implementing it. This is making the police themselves quite frustrated. In this backdrop, the Bangladesh Unnanyan Parishad (BUP) and the Bangladesh Economic Association (BEA) organised a joint seminar with the police last Saturday in which the Inspector General of the Police (IGP) observed that 'there is no alternative to implementing the proposed police reforms' to make the police a more efficient body in line with people's expectations.
It transpired in the seminar that the police are still governed by the Police Act-1861 which was enacted during the British era. This law was enacted in the wake of the Sepoy Mutiny in the subcontinent that was designed to give extraordinary powers to the police to be used by the colonialists in their vested interests of suppressing brutally any rightful protest or uprising by the people. This outdated legislation has no room for community sentiments, democracy, Constitution, media and human rights. Thus, it remained as a handy tool in the hands of all governments since its enactment to ruthlessly promote its own interests at the cost of civil and political liberties or the requirements of the police to be transparent, sensitive and accountable for its actions or lack of actions.
The circumstances in which the present government took over highlighted the need for deep and driving reforms in some core areas to create opportunities for good governance in the future. One of them was police reforms to address among other issues, the effective delinking of the police from political control. The other concerns were to improve the effectiveness of the police in the physical sense, the logistical sense, in terms of integrity and motivation. The proposed plan of action for reforms of the police administration includes suggested measures to deal with all such areas for improving the police force . It specially suggests the ways and means of freeing the police from playing the role of the private army of whoever is in power to suppress and oppress people. It recommends how police can be made professionally competent without such fetters to come closer to the people and win their confidence.
Thus, all concerned quarters in the country would be one in expecting that the government would lose no further precious time in pushing through the adoption and implementation of this crucial proposed plan of action for police reforms for the sake of good governance, democracy and professionalism of the police force. After all, the tenure of this government will last only another five months and it should aim to complete this vital task well before its tenure runs out.
The draft of the proposed programme for police reforms that was formulated has been at the highest policy making level of the government for consideration and for the fastest introduction and implementation, upon its approval. But for reasons unknown, the proposed plan for action has been lying in a state of hibernation. No initiative is noted in adopting and implementing it. This is making the police themselves quite frustrated. In this backdrop, the Bangladesh Unnanyan Parishad (BUP) and the Bangladesh Economic Association (BEA) organised a joint seminar with the police last Saturday in which the Inspector General of the Police (IGP) observed that 'there is no alternative to implementing the proposed police reforms' to make the police a more efficient body in line with people's expectations.
It transpired in the seminar that the police are still governed by the Police Act-1861 which was enacted during the British era. This law was enacted in the wake of the Sepoy Mutiny in the subcontinent that was designed to give extraordinary powers to the police to be used by the colonialists in their vested interests of suppressing brutally any rightful protest or uprising by the people. This outdated legislation has no room for community sentiments, democracy, Constitution, media and human rights. Thus, it remained as a handy tool in the hands of all governments since its enactment to ruthlessly promote its own interests at the cost of civil and political liberties or the requirements of the police to be transparent, sensitive and accountable for its actions or lack of actions.
The circumstances in which the present government took over highlighted the need for deep and driving reforms in some core areas to create opportunities for good governance in the future. One of them was police reforms to address among other issues, the effective delinking of the police from political control. The other concerns were to improve the effectiveness of the police in the physical sense, the logistical sense, in terms of integrity and motivation. The proposed plan of action for reforms of the police administration includes suggested measures to deal with all such areas for improving the police force . It specially suggests the ways and means of freeing the police from playing the role of the private army of whoever is in power to suppress and oppress people. It recommends how police can be made professionally competent without such fetters to come closer to the people and win their confidence.
Thus, all concerned quarters in the country would be one in expecting that the government would lose no further precious time in pushing through the adoption and implementation of this crucial proposed plan of action for police reforms for the sake of good governance, democracy and professionalism of the police force. After all, the tenure of this government will last only another five months and it should aim to complete this vital task well before its tenure runs out.