Yesterday's shooting of a cable company employee by an irate policeman is stoking fears that a culture of impunity is taking hold in the police force. In 2015, complaints against policemen averaged 21 per day.
Criminologists point out that cops are notoriously ineffectual at policing themselves. Administrative slaps on the wrist by Police HQ and police top brass have done little to stamp out police crime, they say.
Less than a fourth of complaints determined to be serious by the police itself resulted in disciplinary action in 2015.
Punitive measures were taken against 1,034 officials by Police HQ last year, of which 74 assistant sub-inspectors and constable-level police were suspended or forced to retire for committing major crimes.
Some 960 officials faced lighter punishments like deductions of salary and demotions.
Yet in 2015, some 4,788 complaints filed against police officials involved killings and sexual harassment, according to the Bangladesh Police security cell database.
Another 3,912 complaints involving allegations of harassment, extortion and bribe taking were also made in 2015 and the first two months of this year.
Fear of reprisals have proved an effective deterrent against victims pursuing cases. When they do, there are allegations that police stations are uncooperative and unresponsive.
Police HQ said they received thousands of complaints last year but said the accusations were later withdrawn.
On February 4, the chairman of the National Human Rights Council, Dr Mizanur Rahman, told the Dhaka Tribune that such crimes were not isolated incidents.
He said lax enforcement and weak punishment was driving an increase in police crimes.
Last July, 24 Cox's Bazar policemen were determined to be involved in human trafficking.
Mohammad Ashraful Alam, chairman of the criminology and police sciences department at Mawlana Bhashani Science and Technology University, told the Dhaka Tribune that high profile cases of crimes committed by policemen typically result in the suspect being withdrawn by Police HQ.
He claimed that suspect policemen returned to work in due course after “managing the probe body.”
“If police crimes were investigated by other forces, the crime rate would drop,” he said. adding that proper punishment was needed to improve the situation.
The shooting in Khilgaon yesterday of a cable company employee over a satellite channel subscription is just the latest in a series of crimes committed by policemen. He has survived that attack.
On March 9, the Motijheel division of Dhaka Metropolitan Police withdrew four of its officials from Rampura police station accused of sexual harassment.
Usually, the higher profile the case, the greater the chance that action is taken against offending law enforcers. But even this does not necessarily ensure that justice is done.
A harassment complaint against SI Masud Rana of Mohammadpur police station was proved by a police probe body, but because the victim, Bangladesh Bank official Golam Rabbi, has not filed a case, no further action has been taken against the guilty policeman.
Jamaluddin Mir, officer-in-charge of Mohammadpur police station, told the Dhaka Tribune that no formal complaint had been filed against SI Masud. He said he believes SI Masud is currently off duty and attached to Rajarbagh police lines.
A departmental case against him is under way, he added. A criminal case has not been filed against him.
Victim Golam Rabbi claims he was threatened while in hospital recovering from an assault by SI Masud. Traumatised by the beating, he is still receiving psychiatric therapy.
A police probe body has also found SI Akash, SI Rasel and SI Monoj of Jatrabari police station guilty of assaulting city corporation Cleaning Inspector Bikash Chandra.
The policemen have temporarily been withdrawn from duty but no further legal action has been taken against them. Police departmental action against them is being taken.
Asked for a comment, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal told the Dhaka Tribune that allegations have occasionally been made against the police. “But no one who is guilty of a crime will be spared. They will be held to account according to the relevant laws.”
Inspector General of Police AKM Shahidul Haque said the police have a zero tolerance policy against crimes committed by policemen.
He said the police force would not bear responsibility for the crimes of even a single dirty cop.