Why did the Police Service Association make this statement?

News about the wealth and property of two former senior officials has been published in the newspapers. First of all one newspaper published a report on the unbelievable wealth amassed by the former police chief Benazir Ahmed. After that, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) took up an investigation into the matter and the media reports proved to be true. In fact, ACC investigations revealed information on even more wealth and property.

In the meantime, news reports appeared in another newspaper about the huge wealth of former commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), Asaduzzaman Miah. The account of Asaduzzaman Miah's wealth as appeared in the newspaper report was certainly less than that of Benazir Ahmed's, but the sheer volume of the wealth of both these former police officers is staggering in normal considerations. All this will become clearer once there is a thorough investigation into how they earned this wealth and whether it is legitimate or not.

If both the matters are taken into consideration, there is a noticeable difference. The reaction that was not seen in the case of Benazir, is now emerging after the details of Asaduzzaman Miah's was revealed in the media. A serious sense of unease has emerged in the police force.

The issue of the police's image has been the raised in discussions. Bangladesh Police Service Association (BPSA) has issued a statement expressing their extreme displeasure.

Of all the inspectors general of police (IGP) over the past 15 years of Awami League's rule, Benazir Ahmed was the most politically powerful. Why is action being taken against this former IGP who is so close to the government? I do not know if there is any clear or accurate answer to this question. But it is clear that the government was obliged to take such a decision from political compulsions.

The allegations against Benazir are certainly of corruption, but as the actions being taken in this regard are considered to be "political", there was no audible reaction from the police force.

However, the matter of Asaduzzaman Miah's wealth is not "political" in that sense. Here the main focus is corruption. There certainly are some police officials who are involved in corruption, no matter how many they may be in number. They have amassed wealth by means of corruption or are in the process of doing so.

It is only natural for the Asaduzzaman issue to shake them up a bit. Such a strong reaction to this is not unnatural. The statement of Bangladesh Police Service Association is an outburst of their intense anger against the newspapers and news media.

The association feels that the news carried in the media about former and serving members of the police force is "motivated", "indiscriminate" and "exaggerated". They also feel that just as the anti-independence communal forces and forces that stand against the country see the police as their enemy and carry out negative criticism against the police, certain media outlets too are carrying out the same role by publishing defamatory news against the present and former members of the police force.

From the statement of the police association it can be said that in recent times Bangladesh's mainstream media has published details about the wealth of two former police officials. In the meantime, ACC has begun investigations into the source of former police chief Benazir Ahmed's wealth and, at the behest of the court, much of the property and bank accounts of his and his family has been seized.

After a certain newspaper published news of the massive wealth of Asaduzzaman Miah, Prothom Alo took up the thread and also published a report in the regard. All journalistic ethics were followed in the reporting, Asaduzzaman's statement was taken, and he himself gave a description of all this assets.

Based on these two incidents, the police association has accused the news media of "indiscriminately" accusing their former and serving officers. In response, the journalists may well ask as to whether it has not been a bit too "indiscriminate" to compare the role of the media with "anti-independence" and "communal" forces?

The journalists would be "much obliged" if the police association's statement would have carried an example of any exaggerated, indiscriminate or motivated report published in any newspaper. After all, the statement advised the news media to practice more caution and journalistic ethics and principles when publishing reports about the police force.

While much was said in the long statement of the police association, basically it was very clear as to what they want. They want that nothing should be written in the media about the corruption, abnormal amassing of wealth or any such allegations concerning any police officer. They cannot do so even if maintaining the general ethics and principles of journalism.

There are all reasons to consider this an alarming demand and direct pressure on the journalism. After all, the police are a powerful force in the country and a special force of the government.

It is the task of the news media to highlight irregularities and incongruities in the state and society, and this must be done in keeping with journalistic principles and ethics. Of course, not all the media adhere to this and it is not that all the media do not carry out motivated reporting. In such instance, measures can be taken again that specific news media outlet.

But the Police Service Association's statement has indiscriminately accused the news media and there are all reasons to believe that this is an effort to create pressure on the media.

When anyone is in power or a position in Bangladesh, they are more or less safe even if they commit corruption. They may fall into trouble only when they lose their post or power. When Benazir Ahmed was in power, no one dared say anything against him. No question was raised about Asaduzzaman and his family either. If it becomes a norm to investigate details of wealth after retirement, they many embroiled in corruption will fall into trouble ahead. Did this fear spur on such a sharp reaction?

Asaduzzaman's incident surely struck fear in the hearts of a few officials. It is only natural that they will try to merge this with the image of the police.

Asaduzzaman Miah claimed that his property and assets and that of his family have been acquired through legitimate means. That makes the task of saving the police's reputation even easier. What is required now is credible and proper investigation. If it is proved that Miah and his family acquired this wealth through legal means, this will go in favour of the police's image.

When any police officer amasses an abnormal amount of wealth or faces allegations of corruption, this must be seen as that particular officer's problem. No force commits corruption, it is the individual that commits corruption. If an individual's corruption is seen in light of the force's image, this will go against the Bangladesh police force's policy of "zero tolerance" against corruption.

After news of former police chief Benazir Ahmed's corruption was published, ACC began investigating the matter. As a force that has "zero tolerance" against corruption, the police should have welcomed this initiative. They should encourage ACC to probe in Asaduzzaman's wealth too. That would be the most effective way to uphold the reputation of the police.

But from the statement of the police association it seems that they have taken the opposition tactic. Yet it will do much more harm to the police force's image if their statement leads to a halt into inquiries regarding Asaduzzaman's wealth, if ACC becomes inert, and if no reporting is done on allegations of any police officer's abnormal amassing of wealth or corruption.

* AKM Zakaria is deputy editor of Prothom Alo and can be reached at [email protected]

* This column appeared in the print and online edition of Prothom Alo and has been rewritten for the English edition by Ayesha Kabir