The Police Reform Commission in Bangladesh is set to propose significant changes aimed at improving policing standards and ensuring the protection of human rights.
Key recommendations of the commission include, among others, imposing strict restrictions on the use of lethal weapons during encounters with violent protesters. It would also recommend implementation of the Supreme Court directives on Section 54 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, CrPC in short, that had often been abused to harass innocent people.
The reform commission, formed on October 3, 2024 by the incumbent interim government, set the United Nations Police manuals, particularly those applied in Kosovo to promote community-based, citizen-focused policing, as the standard reference for bringing reforms聽 in the police force in Bangladesh.
鈥榃e will strongly recommend that the police give priority to citizen鈥檚 human rights,鈥� Safar Raj Hossain, the chief of the Police Reform Commission, said at an interview with 抖阴精品.
According to him, the reform commission has also prioritised the modernisation of outdated laws from the British colonial era, including a revision of Section 54 of the CrPC. This section has faced widespread allegations of abuse as it enables arrests without warrants.
The reform commission emphasised the need for strict implementation of the 2016 Supreme Court directives that include 10 guidelines for law enforcement agencies and nine for judicial authorities.
During his interview, former secretary Safar Raj Hossain highlighted the importance of adhering to these guidelines to curb misuse of power. He underscored that the commission鈥檚 recommendations would focus on protecting human rights and fostering collaboration between the police and communities.
Additionally, to shield the police from political interference, the commission would propose the creation of an independent complaint commission which would be considered as a buffer space. The responsibility for establishing this body, however, would rest with the next parliament, he said.
Safar Raj observed that had democracy with a vibrant parliamentary system with effective participation of opposition parties functioned in the country, the ruling quarters could not have misused the police force in political campaigns.
He stressed the critical role of political will in implementing reforms, noting that political misuse of the police had undermined its effectiveness and led to public trust erosion. He called for structural changes to transform the police into a service-oriented and community-focused agency.
鈥楶olitical influence in the police was created by politicians. Again it鈥檚 the politicians who have to materialise the reform of the police,鈥� he said.
Having remarked that rescuing the police from the force鈥檚 deviated position was a challenging task, he said that the reform commission, however, would come up with recommendations, including modernisation of the police administration along with some other laws under which the force operates.
The reform commission was not assigned to draft laws for the force, he said. 鈥業t would be done by the related ministry and the interim government as there is no parliament at present,鈥� Safar Raj Hossain added.
The commission also intends to recommend recruiting physically challenged individuals into the police force, a move inspired by the need to rehabilitate the protesters who got maimed during the July uprising.
Other proposed reforms include modernising the force鈥檚 accommodation infrastructure, addressing excessive workload by expanding the workforce and ensuring regular recreation leave to improve work-family life balance. To incentivise participation in training programmes, the commission plans to suggest linking training success to promotion.
The commission chief further said that their recommendations would also highlight the necessity for budget allocations for investigation as investigation officers often lamented that they had to bear the investigation costs, including tips for the informers and communication with witnesses.
