Police are so burdened with the pressure of tackling political violence that they have not been able to properly handle regular sensitive cases over the last two and a half months.
A number of police officials said the number of such cases had crossed the hundred mark across the country. Moreover, the cases filed in connection with political violence in which over 140 people have recently been killed added to their misery.
Police department itself is in doubt if they could really make any headway in those cases in the shortest possible time. Besides, criminals in many areas have taken it as a grace that has clearly been visible in the recent rise in criminal acts.
Talking to a number of sub-inspectors, who mainly work as investigation officer (IO) of the cases, it was found that on average an SI is dealing with 15-20 cases at a time.
“Everything gets messed up and sometimes we submit weak charge-sheet due to lack of time for which a justice seeker has to suffer,” said a SI of Ramna police station, who preferred to be unnamed.
He said since November 26 he had taken only four days off. He spent two days on a murder case and could go only once to talk to the victim’s family. He could not even open files of the rest 13 cases.
Several officer-in-charges said in the capital hundred more cases were filed in connection with recent arson attack, vandalism, cocktail attack and murder during the political turmoil. But they are yet to make any major headway.
Spokesperson of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Joint Commissioner Monirul Islam said in the last two months policemen had to spend most of the working hours on patrol, tackling street violence and clashes.
They also had to focus on the fresh cases filed in connection with the violence. As a result the whole policing system, especially the investigation system has been in tatters.
Inspector General of Police Hassan Mahmood Khandker, however, said they were trying hard to set everything right.
According to sources at the Police Headquarters, police are under pressure to handle the cases especially the ones filed in connection with Jamaat-Shibir mayhem first.
Police were also emphasising on the cases filed in connection with the attacks on minorities following the January 5 polls.
“There is a pile of sensational murder cases like the six murders, attack on cops, arson attacks on police stations and looting police arms,” he said.
“The whole procedure to handle a case takes time and every week we have to appear before the court. At the same time investigation into at least 10 others cases go on,” said a SI of Kafrul Police Station in the capital.
“Some cases are politically motivated. It’s a matter of mental pressure too,” he said.
An Inspector (investigation) of one of the oldest police stations in the capital said they had to send case dockets and the progress of investigation of every case to the office of the assistant commissioner every week.
The AC sends back the dockets if he is not satisfied with the investigation progress.
“Sometimes the public prosecutor office sends the dockets back. The court asks for further investigation which makes the process lengthy. Now-a-days the numbers of the cases has increased dramatically,” he said.
