Police week: More demands than accountability

The police week is observed at the beginning of January every year, but was postponed to the second week of February this time due to the 30 December national election. The time is not the issue, the issue is what was achieved during this police week. From the media reports covering the week, it is apparent that no tangible measures were taken to ensure transparency and accountability of the police department. Not only that, but many of those awarded during the week are among the members of police force who reportedly assaulted protestors of the quota reform movement and the safe road movement. The arrest of the person, who was allegedly speaking against the state in an interview, was also seen as a feather in the police’s cap, though the case is still under trial.

In recent times there has been no street movement by the political opposition. And so the political parties can hardly be blamed for any disruption of law and order. But the law enforcement made an effort to give political colouring to the movement of the young people who were demanding reforms of the quota system in public service as well as the movement for safe roads. The government admitted the logic of the demands of both the movements, and so the young protestors cannot be blamed for any mishaps that occurred.

It was the over-enthusiastic law enforcement agencies and activists of the ruling party’s student front that created the agitation. Most of the violence was carried out by Chhatra League’s ‘helmet force’. The government nabbed the protestors, but did not touch the hoodlums in the helmets. If the police actually also caught the helmet men, then they could have been given credit for doing their duty. But they did not do so.

Speaking at the inaugural of the police week, prime minister Sheikh Hasina called upon the police to ensure that no innocent and helpless persons were harassed or tortured. This was an important call. Innocent and helpless people are often harassed because of influential persons or errors by the investigating officer.

Then there were the demands made by the junior and senior police officers. Some of the demands may be justified, such as increasing the number of police members in keeping with the proportion of other SAARC countries, increasing compensation of the police members or their families when injured or killed in line of duty, increasing medical facilities and so on. It certainly is necessary to increase the number of police as well as relevant facilities in the field.

However, questions may be raised regarding their demand for land allocation and lifelong rations. If the officials of any department are allocated plots of land, then other departments will demand the same. This is the same in the case of lifelong rations.

Evaluating the successes and the failures of the department is essential. The success of the force depends on what measures are taken to rectify the mistakes made by the police in carrying out their duty. The police week is held every week. This programme will be meaningful when the rate and degree of crime is less than it was during the police week of the previous year. Otherwise it will just remain a meaningless show.