THE decision to transfer additional deputy commissioner of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police Harun Or Rashid, who has recently been at the centre of public criticism for his use of unlawful means to quell students protest seeking reforms in public job quota, appears an admission on part of the government that some city police officials have, indeed, violated laws and High Court guidelines on arbitrary arrest. Five other ranking officials who have also been transferred are alleged to have been high-handed in dealing with political movements. The joint commissioner (operations) Biplab Kumar Sarkar, transferred to the Detective Branch (South), has long reported legacy of being repressive against political oppositions. The transfers came after the High Court had expressed its displeasure at a Facebook photograph of the official concerned showing the detained student leaders at a dinner with him. The High Court told state counsels to end this 鈥榤ockery鈥� of the legal system. The decision to transfer is, by implication, an acknowledgement that ranking official abused power. But acknowledgement is not enough when public trust in the legal system is at stake.
The additional deputy commissioner concerned has been transferred from the Detective Branch to head crime and operations of the city police. Considering the allegations that he has abused power to taint the credibility of the student leaders in public and published a managed video footage of the student leaders, which constitutes a major violation of rights and the laws, there are reasons to question whether he can continue to remain in police service and, that too, in such a sensitive position without being investigated, especially when there are reports of torture and unlawful detention. Of the student leaders in police custody, three were allegedly picked up by law enforcers on July 19 and they reappeared with injuries. They were detained on July 26 at a hospital while being treated for the torture they endured during the earlier detention. On July 28, the six coordinators, still in the custody of the Detective Branch, called off their protests in a video message. It is a violation of all relevant procedural guidelines, as jurists and rights activists say, to secure an audio-video message from the detained for release on social media and it is unlawful.
The transfer order of police officials on grounds of power abuse and serious violations of legal process, by implication, therefore, suggests that they cannot be allowed to continue to work in the police. Their continued service without due investigation of the allegations leaves room for further power abuse, especially when they are transferred to work in sensitive positions. It is imperative that the government should immediately prosecute them, ensure a credible investigation of the allegation and establish justice and accountability.
