The Tejgaon Egg Traders Multipurpose Cooperative Society’s President Amanat Ullah said police snatch money from egg traders every month from city’s Karwan Bazar, Jahangir Gate and Mohakhali Flyover areas in the early morning. Asked why they do not file complaints, he said: “We know it very well that recovery of our money is impossible as the crimes are committed by those who are supposed to be our protectors.” 
On January 9 this year, Bangladesh Bank Assistant Director Golam Rabbi were brutally tortured by Mohammadpur police station’s Sub-Inspector Masud Sikder and was reportedly threatened with killing in crossfire when he refused to pay the police official Tk500,000. The same month, some patrol police members tortured Dhaka South City Corporation Inspector Bikash Chandra Dash in Dholairpar area. The only “fault” of Bikash was that he was ordered by the police officer to pull over but he was a little late to do so. On November 17, a lawyer named Shahjahan Molla filed a case with a Dhaka court, accusing a police sergeant of extorting money from him by seizing his motorbike documents. Involvement of a section of law enforcers in such criminal acts, including abduction for money, extortion and narcotics smuggling, has now become a matter of great concern for city dwellers, say sources at the Police Headquarters, criminologists and human rights experts. Usually most of the complaints are filed against officials ranked between constables and sub-inspectors; however, the number of complaints against inspectors and assistant superintendents of police is no less, data from the Police Headquarters suggest. According to experts, police officials’ tendency to consider themselves above the law has worsened the law and order in Bangladesh to some extent. Experts think suspension and other low-intensity departmental actions do not work in combating crimes by police. According to the police ordinance, the authorities can take different types of actions against an accused police official including reprimand and suspension. Major punishments for policemen include suspension, forced retirement, demotion, cancellation of increment and cancellation of rank badge while punishments for petty crimes include salary deduction and reprimand or warning. According to Police Headquarters, a total of 61 officials have been suspended from their job during January-August of the current year. Of them, five were sent on forced retirement while the rest have faced only suspension. During these eight months around 8,736 officials – from constables to sub-inspectors – have had to face light punishments while 363 have been handed out major punishments besides suspension. According to the security cell of the Police Headquarters, a total of 623 police officials were suspended permanently in the past six years: 72 were sent on forced retirement while 551 faced suspension. Of these 623 officials, 608 are constables and sub-inspectors, two inspectors and 13 are assistant superintendents of police. During this period, a total of 71,770 police officials have been given light punishment while major punishment was ensured for 4,033. The number of suspension was 76 in 2015 while it was 80 the previous year, 76 in 2013, 188 in 2012, and 127 in 2011, the data of the security cell shows. Police Headquarters sources said the number of allegations of criminal activities against police is much higher as the data does not provide how many complaints it has received; it rather only illustrates how many of the officials are punished after probe found them guilty. The other reason as to why the data cannot display the correct figure of crimes committed by police is most of the victims do not want to take the risk of filing complaints against police fearing further harassment, the sources added. Asked why top officials are not being punished, the Police Headquarters sources said it is the Home Ministry that can punish ASPs and other upper level officials. “The Police Headquarters has only the authority to adopt recommendations to the Home Ministry to take action,” said a source. Criminologists and human rights experts told the Dhaka Tribune that the culture of impunity has led to this situation. Dhaka University criminology department Chairman Zia Rahman said such incidents of crime continue to go on as police officials are rarely tried for their crimes. Crimes committed by police also came up during a live Facebook discussion on November 2 with Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Commissioner Asaduzzaman Mia answering questions. As people from different strata of society raised the allegations of involvement of police crimes, Asaduzzaman Mia said: “I am not saying police do not extort money. People from other professionals also do. But the police high-ups regularly monitor so that police do not extort money. Stern action would be taken if allegation against any official is found true.” When approached by the Dhaka Tribune former chairman of the National Human Rights Commission Mizanur Rahman said incidents of impunity inspire the police to be more careless, which ultimately leads to more crimes by them. “To ensure public safety, repetition of such incidents should be stopped immediately and all the criminals should be brought to justice,” he said. The former NHRC boss recommended continuous surveillance and bringing the offenders to justice to curb such crimes. Inspector General of Police AKM Shahidul Hoque said the number of such officials is very small and the authorities take strict measures against those found guilty of crimes. Home Affairs Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal also said no one would be spared if found guilty. Actions will be taken against guilty people under the existing law of the country, he added. The Anti-Corruption Commission has recently asked the government to constitute a Criminal Justice Commission as a watchdog to monitor police actions to make sure that people get justice. In its annual report for 2015 submitted to President Abdul Hamid on October 24, the commission says there is no effective mechanism in place to monitor the internal activities of the police force and take necessary actions accordingly on receiving complaints from people.
Thursday, June 04, 2026
