Police in Bangladesh: The image crisis

Quite clearly something is seriously wrong regarding the recruitment and training of many in the force. The question naturally arises when a cop is unable to save himself and his partners how can they be entrusted with the lives and properties of the common people?

The image, whatever is left of it, of the Bangladesh police force has taken a battering in the recent days. In separate incidents two armed cops-in presence of several of their similarly armed colleagues– were killed by goons wielding machetes and knives. Just anybody can become a policeman and guard sensitive spots. Supposedly only the best of the lot are given the responsibility to man the checkpoints.
To become a cop, one has to undergo intense training which includes how to defend themselves and according to a retired police officer that I spoke to, they are trained to disarm and subdue knife and even pistol wielding assailants. In Sarda Police Academy there is a full course on hand to hand combat. Not only did these unfortunate policemen fail to defend themselves, their colleagues chose not come to their assistance.
In fact even armed with rifles they fled. One of them even fell into a nearby drain while fleeing and was seriously injured. And at the risk of sounding insensitive this writer can’t sympathise with the injured person. I mean they could have used their rifles as clubs and at least tried to protect their colleagues and capture the criminals. They have taken an oath to carry out their duties to the best of their abilities even when faced with mortal danger.
It is a shuddering thought–the morale of certain members of the force has sunk so low that the well-being of their comrades in uniform did not matter. And so far there has been no visible breakthrough in the investigation process. Quite clearly something is seriously wrong regarding the recruitment and training of many in the force. The question naturally arises when a cop is unable to save himself and his partners how can they be entrusted with the lives and properties of the common people? Every murder is a slap on the face of the government and a failure of the establishment’s duty to protect its citizens.
The general perception of the police is that it is a blunt-edged instrument to perpetuate and perform the will and whims of the powers-that-be. Complaints of police torture and custodial violence have further accentuated the negative image. A general atmosphere of lack of mutual trust, respect and confidence between the law using public and law enforcing police prevails. This sometimes surfaces and erupts into open hostility between different sections of the public and police. At the best and worst of times, this gulf between the police and the public hampers and hinders the functioning of the police in facing the growing challenges.
The police, also fail  to distinguish between the vast majority of law abiding people and the comparatively smaller number of law breakers who have to be dealt with an iron hand. The irony is that though the police exist for the safety of the public, it works in a vacuum of a lack of goodwill, lack of information and feedback and a general lack of co-operation.
 Unlike the predominant view I do not believe that the police in Bangladesh is a totally inefficient force. They have shown great courage at times and solved major crimes. Their track record in fighting the criminal gangs of the city is an exemplary one. Bangladeshi police contingents serving UN peace keeping missions have earned plaudits internationally. And the nation remains ever grateful to the police who put up stiff resistance against the marauding Pakistani army on the night of the crackdown in 1971. They fought hard against all odds and reminded the enemy that the army operations will not be a cakewalk for them.
So what has led to these types of disastrous situations? It must have something to with the way they are recruited. It is common knowledge that money changes had in many cases of recruitment. And there is always the spectre of political pressure on police. So some are overenthusiastic in swooping down on opposition activists and arrest their leaders than focussing on their main tasks. By all means when a group of political activists are creating anarchy they must be dealt with firmly. But even when people are protesting in a non-violent manner–say by forming a human chain– the police have mercilessly beaten even women activists and dispersed them using excessive force.
Some cops have brutally manhandled media personnel who were only carrying out their professional duties. The aim clearly was to please their political masters. It is very unfortunate that among a section of the police there has developed a culture of impunity in which fake encounters, framing, the planting of fake evidence and the use of unsanctioned force are open secrets. And I am talking not only about the present situation. Political pressure has always been there much to the detriment of the organisation. Some cops have been used as party musclemen by different govern­ments. We remember the severe beating inflicted upon senior Awami League leaders Mohammad Nasim and Matiya Chowdhury. We also remember the manner in which the police shot indiscriminately at a rally of Sheikh Hasina when she was the opposition leader.  
I believe that urgent measures must be taken to boost the flagging morale of the force. Unfortunately the morale, self esteem and image of the police have been on steadily decline since the fall of the Ershad regime 1990. Public confidence in the police machinery is perhaps now at an all time low. The morale of the police is down. Senior police officers and other concerned people must do their best to revive confidence through various measures.
The police is here for the people and if the people are not happy, it means somewhere the police are not up to the mark. Morale is important for several reasons, but most importantly it builds efficiency, it creates discipline that is voluntary and enthusiastic rather than enforced. Unfortunately in many cases promotions and other incentives given to police personnel depend not on their performance on the ground but on their political inclination and even more shockingly which district they hail from.
These naturally develop a sense of deprivation and frustration on the cops who are dedicated to their professions.  Priority should be given to make the police force more professional. Steps should be taken to make police more responsive, pro-active and people-friendly and the people should reach the police station without the least hesitation. It is a fact that the effectiveness of the police service is linked with the latter’s public image. A police with a positive image results in public cooperation and helps create a conducive environment for community policing.
Public expectations from the police are high. Apart from preventing and detecting crime, the police are expected to be combatants, human rights protectors and social workers. There is no doubt that the police can’t prevent all murders. But then public opinion is not always rational and it is known to succumb to emotions. One cannot ignore public perceptions, and in a democracy they matter a lot. There is a huge groundswell of opinion that the police fail much more than they succeed. And many rogue cops are doing their best to reinforce this negative perception.  
We must repeat again that the existence of police is for the public, to protect their rights, to provide them secure and peaceful lives. Thus, the need of mutual trust and support between the police and public cannot be overemphasised. Public should feel free to approach police whenever its help is required and police should be always ready to help public.
Interestingly enough while the public views the police as corrupt, lazy, and unfair; (this writers personal interaction of several police officers suggest that) the self-perception of police is also quite negative, as they themselves felt overworked, unappreciated, and victims of political manipulation. People are ready to believe the worst when a policeman is involved in any misadventure. Every lapse is attributed is highlighted. On the other hand, good work done by the police is rarely noticed and still rarely appreciated. This type of prejudice is caused to a large extent by the police itself by keeping the public at an arms length.
Ideally there should be free flow of information between the police and the public. It can be very helpful in creating channels for receiving the right information at the right time. It can also help police in correcting its negative image and projecting the right kind of image of police in the minds of the public. The public will come to know of the good work being done by police. On the other hand, police will get the information of public sentiments on various issues. There is a need for image-building. But mere cosmetic change does not work, and substantial reform is needed.
Such a change would entail public-centric police laws, improved community relations and an autonomous complaint authority. But before that, surely an organised effort should be made to elicit the feedback of the public.  While there is a general negative perception of the police service, some countries have gone through the trouble of assessing the extent of the problem. In India, in an image assessment survey in the mid 1990s, 54pc of the respondents thought it was “better to stay away from police”. Only 5pc said they respected the police.
Conversely, the Canadian police enjoy the highest level of public trust, while in Indonesia, surveys have shown an overwhelming 80pc expressing confidence in the police. Unfortunately here, where the law provides for the establishment of police complaint authorities, these have yet to prove their worth. Other grim realities have also caused a dent in the police’s image, not the least of them corruption. For instance, owing to flaws in the procedure, corrupt elements who may have been suspended, are reinstated. Such returns further erode the public’s confidence. Zero tolerance of corrupt elements is needed. In Paraguay, from 2011 to 2013, 375 policemen were dismissed for corruption.
Similarly, the use of technology can expedite police matters, making the police service more efficient. In Bangladesh police websites are neither updated daily nor are they public-friendly. Websites could in fact be a tremendous source of public education and help in the prevention of or combating crime. For building a positive image, police departments need a written media policy and a dedicated public relations department. As per the existing practice the police management focuses only on statistics, thus an ‘image audit’ is not a priority. Such an image audit, to be conducted by an independent body, is necessary, and on the basis of the findings, training modules can be prepared and operating procedures modified.

The writer is Assistant Editor of The Independent and can be contacted at: [email protected]

 

Police in Bangladesh: The image crisis

Quite clearly something is seriously wrong regarding the recruitment and training of many in the force. The question naturally arises when a cop is unable to save himself and his partners how can they be entrusted with the lives and properties of the common people?

The image, whatever is left of it, of the Bangladesh police force has taken a battering in the recent days. In separate incidents two armed cops-in presence of several of their similarly armed colleagues were killed by goons wielding machetes and knives. Just anybody can become a policeman and guard sensitive spots. Supposedly only the best of the lot are given the responsibility to man the checkpoints. To become a cop, one has to undergo intense training which includes how to defend themselves and according to a retired police officer that I spoke to, they are trained to disarm and subdue knife and even pistol wielding assailants. In Sarda Police Academy there is a full course on hand to hand combat. Not only did these unfortunate policemen fail to defend themselves, their colleagues chose not come to their assistance. In fact even armed with rifles they fled. One of them even fell into a nearby drain while fleeing and was seriously injured. And at the risk of sounding insensitive this writer cant sympathise with the injured person. I mean they could have used their rifles as clubs and at least tried to protect their colleagues and capture the criminals. They have taken an oath to carry out their duties to the best of their abilities even when faced with mortal danger. It is a shuddering thoughtthe morale of certain members of the force has sunk so low that the well-being of their comrades in uniform did not matter. And so far there has been no visible breakthrough in the investigation process. Quite clearly something is seriously wrong regarding the recruitment and training of many in the force. The question naturally arises when a cop is unable to save himself and his partners how can they be entrusted with the lives and properties of the common people? Every murder is a slap on the face of the government and a failure of the establishments duty to protect its citizens. The general perception of the police is that it is a blunt-edged instrument to perpetuate and perform the will and whims of the powers-that-be. Complaints of police torture and custodial violence have further accentuated the negative image. A general atmosphere of lack of mutual trust, respect and confidence between the law using public and law enforcing police prevails. This sometimes surfaces and erupts into open hostility between different sections of the public and police. At the best and worst of times, this gulf between the police and the public hampers and hinders the functioning of the police in facing the growing challenges. The police, also fail to distinguish between the vast majority of law abiding people and the comparatively smaller number of law breakers who have to be dealt with an iron hand. The irony is that though the police exist for the safety of the public, it works in a vacuum of a lack of goodwill, lack of information and feedback and a general lack of co-operation. Unlike the predominant view I do not believe that the police in Bangladesh is a totally inefficient force. They have shown great courage at times and solved major crimes. Their track record in fighting the criminal gangs of the city is an exemplary one. Bangladeshi police contingents serving UN peace keeping missions have earned plaudits internationally. And the nation remains ever grateful to the police who put up stiff resistance against the marauding Pakistani army on the night of the crackdown in 1971. They fought hard against all odds and reminded the enemy that the army operations will not be a cakewalk for them. So what has led to these types of disastrous situations? It must have something to with the way they are recruited. It is common knowledge that money changes had in many cases of recruitment. And there is always the spectre of political pressure on police. So some are overenthusiastic in swooping down on opposition activists and arrest their leaders than focussing on their main tasks. By all means when a group of political activists are creating anarchy they must be dealt with firmly. But even when people are protesting in a non-violent mannersay by forming a human chain the police have mercilessly beaten even women activists and dispersed them using excessive force. Some cops have brutally manhandled media personnel who were only carrying out their professional duties. The aim clearly was to please their political masters. It is very unfortunate that among a section of the police there has developed a culture of impunity in which fake encounters, framing, the planting of fake evidence and the use of unsanctioned force are open secrets. And I am talking not only about the present situation. Political pressure has always been there much to the detriment of the organisation. Some cops have been used as party musclemen by different governments. We remember the severe beating inflicted upon senior Awami League leaders Mohammad Nasim and Matiya Chowdhury. We also remember the manner in which the police shot indiscriminately at a rally of Sheikh Hasina when she was the opposition leader. I believe that urgent measures must be taken to boost the flagging morale of the force. Unfortunately the morale, self esteem and image of the police have been on steadily decline since the fall of the Ershad regime 1990. Public confidence in the police machinery is perhaps now at an all time low. The morale of the police is down. Senior police officers and other concerned people must do their best to revive confidence through various measures. The police is here for the people and if the people are not happy, it means somewhere the police are not up to the mark. Morale is important for several reasons, but most importantly it builds efficiency, it creates discipline that is voluntary and enthusiastic rather than enforced. Unfortunately in many cases promotions and other incentives given to police personnel depend not on their performance on the ground but on their political inclination and even more shockingly which district they hail from. These naturally develop a sense of deprivation and frustration on the cops who are dedicated to their professions. Priority should be given to make the police force more professional. Steps should be taken to make police more responsive, pro-active and people-friendly and the people should reach the police station without the least hesitation. It is a fact that the effectiveness of the police service is linked with the latters public image. A police with a positive image results in public cooperation and helps create a conducive environment for community policing. Public expectations from the police are high. Apart from preventing and detecting crime, the police are expected to be combatants, human rights protectors and social workers. There is no doubt that the police cant prevent all murders. But then public opinion is not always rational and it is known to succumb to emotions. One cannot ignore public perceptions, and in a democracy they matter a lot. There is a huge groundswell of opinion that the police fail much more than they succeed. And many rogue cops are doing their best to reinforce this negative perception. We must repeat again that the existence of police is for the public, to protect their rights, to provide them secure and peaceful lives. Thus, the need of mutual trust and support between the police and public cannot be overemphasised. Public should feel free to approach police whenever its help is required and police should be always ready to help public. Interestingly enough while the public views the police as corrupt, lazy, and unfair; (this writers personal interaction of several police officers suggest that) the self-perception of police is also quite negative, as they themselves felt overworked, unappreciated, and victims of political manipulation. People are ready to believe the worst when a policeman is involved in any misadventure. Every lapse is attributed is highlighted. On the other hand, good work done by the police is rarely noticed and still rarely appreciated. This type of prejudice is caused to a large extent by the police itself by keeping the public at an arms length. Ideally there should be free flow of information between the police and the public. It can be very helpful in creating channels for receiving the right information at the right time. It can also help police in correcting its negative image and projecting the right kind of image of police in the minds of the public. The public will come to know of the good work being done by police. On the other hand, police will get the information of public sentiments on various issues. There is a need for image-building. But mere cosmetic change does not work, and substantial reform is needed. Such a change would entail public-centric police laws, improved community relations and an autonomous complaint authority. But before that, surely an organised effort should be made to elicit the feedback of the public. While there is a general negative perception of the police service, some countries have gone through the trouble of assessing the extent of the problem. In India, in an image assessment survey in the mid 1990s, 54pc of the respondents thought it was better to stay away from police. Only 5pc said they respected the police. Conversely, the Canadian police enjoy the highest level of public trust, while in Indonesia, surveys have shown an overwhelming 80pc expressing confidence in the police. Unfortunately here, where the law provides for the establishment of police complaint authorities, these have yet to prove their worth. Other grim realities have also caused a dent in the polices image, not the least of them corruption. For instance, owing to flaws in the procedure, corrupt elements who may have been suspended, are reinstated. Such returns further erode the publics confidence. Zero tolerance of corrupt elements is needed. In Paraguay, from 2011 to 2013, 375 policemen were dismissed for corruption. Similarly, the use of technology can expedite police matters, making the police service more efficient. In Bangladesh police websites are neither updated daily nor are they public-friendly. Websites could in fact be a tremendous source of public education and help in the prevention of or combating crime. For building a positive image, police departments need a written media policy and a dedicated public relations department. As per the existing practice the police management focuses only on statistics, thus an image audit is not a priority. Such an image audit, to be conducted by an independent body, is necessary, and on the basis of the findings, training modules can be prepared and operating procedures modified. The writer is Assistant Editor of The Independent and can be contacted at: [email protected]