Police are Friends not Enemies

 

Bangladesh Police is known as the internal law and order body of the country. Bangladesh Police is directly and indirectly engaged in the service of the people. Bangladesh Police was born in 1840 from the British Police. The name of Bangladesh Police was changed to East Bengal Police after the partition of the country in 1947. It was later renamed as East Pakistan Police.

There are many negative perceptions in the minds of the people about the Bangladesh Police. Corruption of the police, misbehavior with the people, embezzlement of money out of fear of lawsuits, harassment with unfounded suspicions, etc. are at the top of the discussion on the negative qualities of the Bangladesh Police. Many people secretly capture the video on their mobile phones and share it through social media. Within moments the brawl began. It is said that all the members of the Bangladesh Police are corrupt, extortionists, bribe-takers, and so on. Based on the misconduct of two or four policemen, we put a stigma on the entire police force. Of course, if a common man sees the misconduct of the police, he will point it out. We often forget to mention the great contribution he is making to the welfare of the nation. I don't think it is necessary to present it to the nation. If we do praise, we must praise.

The number of manpower in Bangladesh Police is about 2 lakh 12 thousand. The ratio of police personnel to the population of Bangladesh is 1: 600. According to the UN standard, 2 lakh 12 thousand more manpower is required to provide services. Bangladesh Police is working tirelessly day and night with this limited number of manpower.

Bangladesh Police has been divided into several units to facilitate the discharge of duties at different levels. These are Police Headquarters, Range Police, Metropolitan Police, Special Branch (SB), Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Armed Police Battalion (APBN), Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), Railway Police (GRP), Indo, Police Internal Website (PIO), Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI), Training Institutes, Tourist Police and Naval Police.

The vision of the Bangladesh Police is to provide services to all citizens and to build a safe Bangladesh capable of living and working. The mission is to uphold the rule of law, ensure the safety of all citizens, identify and prevent crime, bring violators to justice, maintain peace and order, provide protection, assistance and service to the people, and be sympathetic, humble and patient. Exploring ways to gain education and perform better, coordinate with different organizations, etc.

Crime suppression and investigation is the main task of the police. But in doing so, the police have to take up the case, investigate the case, arrest the accused, submit the investigation report of the case to the court and assist in the trial process. The outcome of the trial depends largely on the police complaint. According to the investigation, if the evidence cannot be presented in court, then it is difficult to prove the case and punish the culprit. So the success of the judiciary depends on the success of the police.

1971 is the most glorious time in the history of the Bangladesh Police. During the great war of liberation, a Deputy Inspector General, several SPs and almost all police personnel gave their lives in the struggle for the liberation of Bengalis. Since March 1971, the provincial government of Pakistan has lost control over the provincial police force. The heroic members of the police openly took a stand against Pakistan. On 25 March 1971, they resisted the Pakistan Army's sophisticated weapons used in World War II at the Police Lines in Rajarbagh, Dhaka. The members of the Bangladesh Police formed the first armed resistance against the Pakistani aggressors. It was this armed resistance that conveyed the message of the beginning of the armed war to the Bengalis. These members of the police later participated in guerrilla warfare across the country for nine months and put up strong resistance against the Pakistani army. The list of 1272 martyred policemen is mentioned in the documents of the war of independence.

The police force has to be active to prevent militant attacks. For example, on July 1, 2016, a militant attack took place at a restaurant called Holey Artisan Bakery in the capital's Gulshan. Two police officers were killed. At least 50 policemen were injured.

Bangladesh Police is well known not only in the country but also in the international arena. Bangladesh Police members are working in peacekeeping missions in various war-torn countries of the world under the auspices of the United Nations. In 1989, the Bangladesh Police in Namibia served as a member of the first UN peacekeeping mission in Bangladesh. Since then, members of the Bangladesh Police have been working in other missions including Ivory Coast, Sudan, Darfur, Liberia, Casabo, East Timor, DR Congo, Angola, Haiti. In 2005, the first peacekeeping police unit (FPU) was launched in Ivory Coast by the United Nations peacekeeping mission. Bangladesh has the highest number of police personnel in peacekeeping missions. A total of 2,050 people are currently working in seven UN peacekeeping missions in six countries, including two women police FPUs (one in Congo and the other in Haiti).

There are no hard and fast rules of duty. You have to do 12 hours, 16 hours and even 18 hours of duty every day. There is no such thing as a weekly holiday. If you apply for leave once or twice a year, it never matches, never again.

It is learned that no provision of weekly leave has been made in the Police Act of 181 as a disciplinary force or emergency service. The law states that "members of the police will always be considered on duty." Is not.

The role of the police in the crisis moments of the country is undeniable. We see a shining example of this, the Bangladesh Police has always been working as a front-line fighter during the Corona epidemic. When the whole world was shocked by the first wave of the Corona last year, when we all feared death on an uncertain journey, when everyone wrapped themselves up safely, when others refused to serve without protection, the police were not the only ones waiting. Risked his life for the welfare of the country and the people.

Every internal and external force of the country engaged in maintaining law and order has some or other limitations. The Bangladesh Police Force is also not above this. These obstacles need to be overcome quickly. Then our country and the people of our country will be safe.


Shahriar Hasan Rakib is a Student, Department of Psychology, Jagannath University.