The recent incident of Dhaka Tribune photojournalist Mahmud Hossain Opu being assaulted by the police deserves nothing but condemnation. But what is worse, perhaps, is the sorry justification provided by police officials regarding the matter, chalking it up to a “misunderstanding” over lack of identification.
If the police truly believe that a citizen failing to provide the appropriate identification is enough of an excuse to assault them, then it is high time that a national conversation was launched into the state of impropriety within our law enforcement.
To say that most Bangladeshis do not trust the police would be an understatement. These are the men and women who have sworn to protect us, but, more often than not, end up abusing their powers to persecute law-abiding citizens just because they can.
Around three years ago, several victims of police brutality -- who had remained silent for years following harassment campaigns -- started to speak out following the actions taken by the government against police officials who were allegedly involved in the murder of former army officer Major (retd) Sinha Mohammad Rashed Khan.
It was an unprecedented event that promised reform for the poisoned well that is our law enforcement. However, it does not seem much -- if anything -- has changed since then.
Last year a police constable was seen harassing a teacher for wearing a teep on her forehead as it went against his personal notions of how a woman should dress -- while the constable in question was eventually suspended, that such retrograde attitudes are allowed to foment within our law enforcers is a troubling notion, and one that the police have yet to address to any meaningful capacity.
However, all such issues take a backseat when police impropriety leads to police brutality. Nothing gives a police officer the right to assault a citizen short of self defense, and that they cited identification as a justification for assaulting one of us has dangerous implications.
It is high time that we as a nation took a firm stand against police brutality and abuse.
