There is no denying the grueling realities faced by ground-level law enforcement personnel in Bangladesh.
It cannot be easy to operate amid severe logistical deficits, including acute transport shortages and a lack of proper housing facilities, for nearly 90% of the force. Officers also often endure grueling 12-to-16-hour shifts under immense pressure.
This is a reality we must acknowledge, and we sympathize with those within the forces.
Equipping the force with necessary transport, housing, and operational backing is thus a vital administrative duty that the government must address without delay.
However, recognizing the genuine hardships of police work must never translate into a blanket excuse for systemic failure or poor public service.
The primary grievance of ordinary citizens with law enforcement agencies has been an entrenched culture of authoritarian intimidation and a callous disregard for public welfare.
Too often, the badge has been wielded as an instrument of power and coercion rather than protection, leaving communities alienated and terrified of the very institutions meant to secure them.
Logistical upgrades and multi-crore vehicle procurements will mean nothing if the internal ethos of the force remains rot-ridden.
A lack of transport does not excuse extortion at checkpoints, nor does substandard housing justify custodial abuse, bribery, or the routine weaponization of the law against the vulnerable.
For generations, citizens have been forced to navigate a police apparatus that views them with suspicion or contempt rather than dignity and service. For that to change, it will take more than overhauling institutional capacity.
Accountability must match investment step for step. Officers deserve fair working conditions and adequate resources, but the public deserves law enforcement agencies that genuinely care for and protect them.