Human rights campaigners slammed the local police in Chittagong for detaining school, and college students for skipping classes, as it is not a crime.
Police shall only detain people when there is a specific complaint against an individual, but they shall not do anything beyond that, stating “it is a moral or social responsibility,” they added.
Their concern came a day after Chittagong’s Kotwali police detained 26 students, including 10 female students, of different schools and colleges for skipping classes, and roaming around a park near the CRB area.
The police claimed, the students were found wearing uniforms, roaming freely around the park, and missing their classes. Later, the students were released to the custody of their guardians after signing a bond.
Bangladesh National Women Lawyers' Association (BNWLA) Director advocate Towhida Khondker said, police can only arrest or take action against an individual, if the movement is suspicious, or if there is any specific complaint, or if they find their involvement in a crime.
“For skipping classes, police cannot take any action against anyone because it is not a crime. It is the responsibility of the institutions, and the parents to look after these issues,” she said.
Meanwhile, Supreme Court lawyer, and rights activist Jyotirmoy Barua said the only duty of police is to monitor law and order, and take action based on that.
“They [police] do not have any social responsibility. They cannot do anything beyond that, claiming those as ‘moral or social responsibility’. The police could have played a role if there were specific complaint of drugs or criminal involvements against them,” he said.
When contacted, Kotwali police station OC Mohammad Mohsin claimed that they conducted the drive at the area following complaints from locals that “some teenagers were skipping their classes, and getting involved in antisocial activities.”
“They also get involved in fights sometimes,” he claimed, adding that it was the social responsibility of the police to act on such issues.
“But as we found them innocent, we released them after taking signature of their parents on bond. Parents of these teenagers also appreciated our action,” he said.
The OC said they also notified the educational institutions under their jurisdiction to monitor the activities of their students.
Earlier in August, Magura police launched a campaign against the town's youths for sporting "flamboyant" haircuts, claiming that they found a connection between youths leading abnormal lifestyle, and engaging in criminal activities.
In July, Noakhali lawmaker Mohammed Ekramul Karim Chowdhury faced an outcry from netizens after publishing photos of teens detained in a drive in Noakhali Municipality Park.
Earlier in March, barbers’ organization in Tangail’s Bhuiyanpur upazila, at the request of Bhuiyanpur police OC, imposed a ban on local youths from getting “fancy” haircuts including half-shaved, and faux-hawk.
But they withdrew the ban following backlash from different quarters.