IT was suggested frequently from different forums during the tenure of the previous caretaker government about carrying out fully police reforms so that the elected government would not have to be burdened by a traditionally inefficient, under-motivated and corruption-ridden police force. But the caretakers only raised hopes in this sphere to destroy the same by ultimately doing nothing towards completing police reforms.
However, some changes brought about by the caretaker government in the early days of their tenure lent some sort of an improvement in a piecemeal fashion in the functioning of the police force. But no sooner the authority of the caretakers was withdrawn, the police reverted swiftly back to their old disposition of lack of integrity, ineffectiveness against crime and concentrating their energies mainly in doing the bidding of their political masters.
The relevant ministry stalwarts and other government potentates have been promising all sorts of things about quickly improving law and order conditions by revamping the police force. But no actual steps appear to have been taken in this direction. The transition to an elected government was not accompanied by clear signals to the police that they must henceforth be guided by nothing else but professionalism in the discharge of their duties.
The real experience of policemen since the governmental change has been that they risked their jobs, postings and other benefits if they would be guided by purely professional and neutral instincts in doing their work. They have to take very seriously into consideration the political identity of the offenders. Therefore, the policemen have generally lost their inspiration for doing their work with flair and impartiality.
Shihab Ahmed
Uttara, Dhaka
Whither police reforms?
FE Team | Published: October 06, 2010 00:00:00 | Updated: February 01, 2018 00:00:00
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