Politicians never wanted police to be professional, reform essential now

People have always demanded police be professional and free from any influence, but politicians never wanted it. The task of police has been to suppress the mass since 1930, and that practice must change and police must be free from influence, and, for this, it is high time for the reform of police.

Eminent citizens said this while exchanging views at an event titled “People’s police in citizens’ thoughts: A bond of security and trust” at the Rajarbagh Police Lines in Dhaka on Thursday on the occasion of the Police Week 2025.

Senior and retired police officials, metropolitan police commissioners, range DIGs (deputy inspector general) and SPs (superintendent of police) were present at the event.

Such an event on exchanging views with citizens from different professions and strata was something new for the Police Week.

Police said the event was organised to learn more about various issues that include how police-citizens relation should be, what kinds of police they want.

Citizens from different professions and strata including teachers, journalists, religious leaders, authors, players, singers, filmmakers, economists, literateurs and worker leaders were present at the event.

Prior to this event, police officials joined a discussion with the chief election commissioner. The inspector general of police (IGP) also exchanged views with field level police officials holding the ranks of SP and above.

Exchanging views with citizens’, former IGP Muhammad Nurul Huda said political leadership should give police the opportunity to work independently. Police have been turned into a monstrous force, and what is mostly necessary for a reform to police is political goodwill.

In 1947, politicians changed everything, but not the Penal Code, Code of Criminal Procedure, and Evidence Act. Yet, changes to those laws were a demand of that time. That means there was no political goodwill at the time, he added.

Nurul Huda said, “We saw no such political goodwill in 1971 either. We did not change the rules and regulations that were necessary to make our constitution operational. That means contradiction in our state persists. Political leaders did not want to make the police professional effectively.”

Author and researcher professor Salimullah Khan was the chief discussant of the event. He said police have been in a strange situation since their popularity dropped, and police should be liberal to investigate its reasons. Police become a partisan force, but this is an external matter. However, there are internal problems.

Enforcement is one of the branches of the state. Since police do the enforcement task, normally they will not be popular. But, all states in the world need police, and the word ‘police’ itself holds the word ‘state,’ he added.

Salimullah Khan also highlighted problems in the judiciary. He said, “The matter of the accused after arrest goes to the court in our criminal judicial system. We have often heard from police that we cannot depend on the criminal judicial system of our country. The court grants bail, the accused walks free. In some cases, innocents are punished, criminals are spared.”

The Supreme Court ordered that none can be arrested without a warrant, but it was not applied in reality, he added.

Former IGP Abdul Kaium said everyone wants to become independent, but when freedom is given, none feels good about it. Rather, they long for slavery. Some go to the houses of the ministers for posting and promotion. This double standard should end and people must come out of these practices.

Presided over by IGP Baharul Alam, New Age editor Nurul Kabir, Apex Footwear managing director Syed Nasim Manzur, Public Service Commission member Professor Chowdhury Saima Ferdous, Dhaka University peace and conflict studies professor Sazzad Siddiqui, and Electoral Reforms Commission member Zahed Ur Rahman spoke at the event. Additional IG Golam Rasul delivered the closing remarks.

Speakers also criticised activities and reports of the Police Reform Commission, highlighting the absence of structure and framework of an independent police commission. The Reform Commission recommended deciding, scrutinising and analysing these issues by taking experts’ opinions.

Salimulllah Khan said the Police Act and the Police Regulation have so many flaws, and lastly, the Reform Commission could not realise the matter despite filing a report.

He said, “The main problem will not go away by resolving the surface issues. We must go to the root of the distance between police and people. Police must not be forced to take a stand against people.”

Former IGP Nurul Huda said the recommendations of the reform commission report can be achieved in just a few days. Even the incumbent IPG expressed frustration. The Reform Commission recommended scrutiny and audit. If scrutiny and audit is needed, what was the necessity of this commission then?

Nurul Huda remarked that the police have been turned into a monstrous force; this temperament does not go away easily. Besides, where is the protection of the police members who would not abide by illegal orders?

According to him, it is beyond thought how much the police officials have been involved in corruption. Corruption was abound.

The former IGP further stated there is no certainty that corruption is not taking place now; but, everyone must come out of this.

Speaking about senior police members, former IGP Nurul Huda also termed the government’s move to give promotion by two ranks to the officials, who did not get any promotion and the remaining time of their service tenure is little, desirable. “This is because money and seniority cannot solely compensate for their psychological and social hassle; that is why, their dues should be paid before they go on retirement.”

IGP Baharul Islam delivered the welcome address. He said people’s perception toward the police would be positive when they will find that this force not only applies force but also takes the responsibility of protecting people’s rights and human values. “People’s police” is not only an identity, it is also a philosophy, which draws trust, respect and dignity along with the sense of security among the people.

“History has taught us that achieving people’s trust, not arms, is the real strength of the police. If police truly stand by the people, they do not become a symbol of fear; rather they turn into a refuge of hope. So, the police must become a force which will work for the people, on behalf of the people and will stand by the people.”

Addressing the meeting to exchange views, journalist Nurul Kabir said when the state becomes the oppressor, it does not allow the police to be the people’s police.

Recalling the notifications, which were issued during the immediate past regime, Nurul Kabir remarked how shameless the state could be that it mentioned suppression of the opposition political parties as the reason to give awards to police members.

According to him, the police must keep several issues in mind to become the people’s police. They must have the intellect to differentiate between justice and injustice; the police must realise the words of the people who join protests.

Political analyst Zahed Ur Rahman said demands were raised to repeal the ‘Torture and Custodial Death (Prohibition) Act’ during the past Police Weeks. The Act states about physical torture, as well as mental torture. The police force itself sought the repeal of this act but that did not happen. That is why, the police recommended incorporating several conditions to apply this law.

Professor Chowdhury Saima Ferdous said, “The police uniform was a matter of fear in July. We have seen the helplessness of people facing their guns. If the police follow the path of truth in new Bangladesh, they will be able to generate trust among the people.”

She urged the police to stand by the helpless people.

Industrialist Syed Nasim Manzur remarked that the capacity of the police must be enhanced and the police must be allowed to work independently.

According to him, it must be seen whether a mind-set to serve people is being built among those who are being appointed at senior police posts and other positions.

Speaking at the meeting, Professor Sazzad Siddiqui said, “Political goodwill is the most important factor to reform the police. We must consider whether we are giving the police the opportunity to become public servants. If the matter of how police are used to repress the opposition parties is not considered for reform initiatives, the police will not become the people’s police.”

He stressed that the abuse of police by state power must stop. If the police can work independently their image will flourish, Sazzad Siddiqui remarked.

Additional IGP Golam Rasul gave the concluding remarks.

He said, “We will not confront the people, we will be by them. We want to go to the common people and we want to become the police of mass people.”

Chief Adviser’s Special Assistant Md Khoda Baksh Chowdhury, lyricist Shahidullah Farayezi, singer Asif Akbar, Police Reform Commission member (student representative) Md Zarif Rahman, filmmaker and screenwriter Ashfaq Nipun, musician Farzana Wahid Shayan, Executive Director of the Center for Policy Dialogue (CPD) Fahmida Khatun, Supreme Court lawyer Manjur Al Matin, and Garments Workers’ Solidarity President Taslima Akhtar, among others, attended the event.

They said the police must not open fire on innocent people in future; police must register cases instead of hiding actual crimes including mugging and robbery; police must not engage in moral policing and not harass people facing false allegations in various cases.

They further said the police must create a congenial environment so that people irrespective of education and income ceiling can go to police to tell their owes.

Overall, police must be a cause of terror for criminals and a safe haven for innocent people, they insisted.