Once a cognisable case is registered, the police initiate the criminal justice process by launching an investigation to uncover the truth. Crime investigation is a core function of law enforcement in Bangladesh, playing a crucial role in maintaining law and order and ensuring justice. This process involves gathering evidence, identifying suspects, and holding perpetrators accountable through legal means. Many other police duties, such as patrolling, intelligence gathering, and community policing, directly or indirectly support investigations by providing vital information. Similarly, maintaining public records, addressing complaints, and managing crime prevention programmes contribute to the broader goal of solving crimes. A thorough and objective investigation brings offenders to justice and deters future crimes, fostering a safer society.
The investigation of crimes by the police in Bangladesh is primarily governed by the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898, along with other legal provisions, such as the Penal Code 1860; Police Regulations 1943; the Evidence Act 1872; the Police Act 1861 and other laws. The Code of Criminal Procedure outlines the procedure for criminal investigations, detailing how the police must collect evidence, question witnesses, and interrogate suspects. Additionally, the police must ensure that investigations comply with the principles of natural justice and due process, particularly in relation to the rights of the accused.
A criminal investigation typically involves visiting the crime scene, collecting evidence, interviewing witnesses, and interrogating suspects. In complex cases, forensic techniques such as DNA analysis, fingerprinting, and ballistics play a crucial role, though access to such facilities remains limited in many parts of Bangladesh. Investigating officers may also seek court-issued warrants for searches, seizures, or arrests, though, in certain situations, they are authorised to proceed without them. As technology advances, the public increasingly expects law enforcement to leverage modern scientific tools to enhance the efficiency and accuracy of investigations. From forensic science and data analytics to surveillance technologies and digital evidence processing, these resources have immense potential to unravel complex cases swiftly and effectively. By integrating such tools into their operations, the police can ensure that investigations are not only thorough but also impartial and resistant to errors. However, these facilities are not widely accessible across Bangladesh.
In cases involving major crimes such as murder, terrorism, or corruption, specialised units like the Detective Branch, Counter-Terrorism and Transnational Crime Unit, or the Criminal Investigation Department and Police Bureau of Investigation often take over. These units are better equipped and staffed with skilled personnel trained in advanced investigative techniques.
The primary objective of a police investigation is to uncover the truth, identify and apprehend offenders, and ensure they are held accountable under the law while protecting innocent individuals from wrongful implication based on weak or unreliable evidence. This dual responsibility reflects the delicate balance between ensuring public safety and safeguarding individual rights, which lies at the heart of any just legal system. A thorough, fact-based investigation seeks to secure justice for victims and uphold their rights while supporting the judicial process with strong, admissible evidence. Additionally, crime investigations play a crucial role in preventing future offences by identifying patterns, recommending policy changes, and strengthening law enforcement strategies. By maintaining transparency, fairness, and efficiency, police investigations enhance public trust in the legal system and contribute to a safer, more just society.
Lawyers highlight that the overall conviction rate in criminal cases in the country is around 20 per cent, meaning 80 per cent of accused individuals are ultimately acquitted, raising serious concerns about the effectiveness of the criminal justice system and the need for reform. Defective and perfunctory investigations are often attributed to producing weak evidence that cannot withstand legal scrutiny, with cases frequently failing due to missing or improperly collected forensic evidence, incomplete documentation, or procedural errors exploited by defence lawyers. Additionally, the failure to produce witnesses or their absence in court further weakens trials, as witness testimonies are crucial in establishing guilt, yet delays, fear of retaliation, and logistical challenges often render them unavailable when needed.
While inadequate investigations are often cited as the primary cause of low conviction rates, they are only one part of a broader system. Even a well-conducted investigation with strong evidence may fail if prosecutors, forensic experts, prison authorities, and the judiciary do not fulfil their roles effectively. Convictions depend on a multi-stage process involving investigation, prosecution, judicial proceedings, and witness testimony, and failures at any stage can significantly reduce the chances of securing a conviction. While prosecution is crucial in transforming investigative findings into persuasive legal arguments, its success depends on the skill, experience, and motivation of prosecutors. Similarly, forensic experts provide critical scientific analysis, but their contributions are often undermined by underfunded, outdated, or unreliable forensic facilities. Additionally, bureaucratic inefficiencies, backlogged courts, and procedural delays weaken cases, giving defendants opportunities to exploit technicalities or benefit from witnesses鈥� fading memories. Prison and correctional institutions also play a role by ensuring that offenders do not manipulate the system to evade justice while awaiting trial.
The criminal justice system functions as an interconnected mechanism in which each component must operate efficiently for justice to be served. Securing a conviction is not solely the responsibility of investigating officers or prosecutors but requires cooperation and competence across all sectors. Failures in legal representation, judicial inefficiencies, or forensic shortcomings increase the likelihood of acquittals, weakening the justice system. Addressing the low conviction rate requires a holistic reform approach that strengthens investigations, enhances prosecutorial effectiveness, improves forensic capabilities, ensures judicial accountability, and streamlines legal proceedings. Without comprehensive improvements, inefficiencies will persist, ultimately eroding public trust in law enforcement and the rule of law.
In addition to the low conviction rate, the police investigation of crimes in Bangladesh is often criticised by the public, lawyers, and civil society due to allegations of political influence, corruption, inefficiency, and human rights violations. Many believe that investigations are biased, with cases sometimes fabricated against political opponents or manipulated to protect influential individuals. Corruption, including bribery and misuse of power, weakens public trust, while delays in investigations and judicial proceedings prolong justice. Forced confessions and custodial torture are major concerns, as is the lack of forensic expertise and reliance on weak evidence. Inadequate witness protection discourages testimony, and poor coordination between police and the judiciary leads to case dismissals due to lack of evidence. Additionally, mishandling of gender-based crimes, failure to address organised and financial crimes effectively, and a general lack of transparency further erode confidence in law enforcement. To improve investigations, Bangladesh needs institutional reforms, better training, independent oversight, and the adoption of modern forensic and investigative techniques.
Resource availability plays a significant role in determining the effectiveness of criminal investigations. The collection and analysis of forensic evidence are labour-intensive and costly, which is why scientific investigative techniques are typically reserved for the most serious crimes, such as homicide, sexual assault, and high-value property crimes.
It is important to provide investigators with adequate financial and logistical resources to improve case clearance rates. However, officers-in-charge of police stations in Bangladesh reveal a stark reality: virtually no operational budget is allocated to support criminal investigations. The government has recently introduced an investigation fund, providing Tk 2000鈥�5000 per case. However, this amount is grossly inadequate given the actual costs of thorough investigative work. A standard case costs around Tk 5,000-7,000 to investigate, while complex cases such as robbery or rape can cost between Tk 20,000 and 30,000. Therefore, investigators frequently report that a lack of financial support forces them to rely on personal funds or external sources to conduct investigations, travel to crime scenes, or gather evidence. To ensure effective and thorough investigations, government funding should align with the actual costs involved.
Limited access to modern forensic equipment, a lack of trained forensic personnel, and inadequate transport facilities further impede investigations, making it difficult for law enforcement agencies to collect, preserve, and analyze crucial evidence. Many police stations, particularly those in rural areas, lack even the most basic forensic tools, forcing investigators to rely on outdated methods that often fail to meet the standards required for securing convictions. Without proper forensic capabilities, officers are left to depend on eyewitness testimonies and circumstantial evidence, both of which can be unreliable and easily challenged in court.
The absence of essential tools such as fingerprint kits, forensic testing equipment, and digital crime analysis software significantly reduces the efficiency and accuracy of police investigations. Proper fingerprint identification can link suspects to crime scenes, yet many stations lack the necessary kits or trained personnel to conduct such examinations effectively. Similarly, forensic testing 鈥� such as DNA analysis, toxicology reports, and ballistic examinations 鈥� remains out of reach for most cases due to limited facilities and a backlog of pending forensic requests at underfunded government labs. Digital crime analysis software, which can help track criminal patterns, analyse surveillance footage, and detect cybercrimes, is often unavailable or underutilised due to a lack of technical expertise among officers.
In addition to these challenges, inadequate transport facilities hinder timely evidence collection and suspect apprehension. Crime scenes often require immediate forensic examination, but delays caused by a shortage of police vehicles or poorly maintained transport infrastructure result in the loss or contamination of critical evidence. In many cases, forensic teams must travel long distances to reach crime scenes, sometimes arriving too late to gather fresh, uncontaminated samples. These logistical shortcomings not only slow down investigations but also weaken the overall criminal justice process, leading to lower conviction rates and increased public distrust in law enforcement capabilities. Strengthening forensic resources, investing in officer training, and modernising investigative tools are essential steps toward improving the effectiveness of police investigations.
The state exerts substantial control over police agencies in Bangladesh, often using them as political tools rather than for public safety. Consequently, many policing policies are politically driven, with frequent interference by political leaders in criminal investigations, influencing charge sheets and final reports to align with ruling party interests, especially in high-profile cases. Politicians, influential elites, and law enforcement superiors pressure investigators to frame or exonerate individuals, obstructing impartial investigations and lowering crime clearance rates. A police officer assigned to an investigation has the exclusive authority and unfettered right to conduct the investigation. Therefore, from a technical and legal standpoint, no senior officer, including the Inspector General of Police, can dictate the course of the investigation. However, senior officers may supervise the case to provide guidance and support in the investigative process. However, political and external pressures frequently undermine this independence, leading to undue influence that compromises investigative integrity. Cases are often manipulated to shield allies or target opponents with fabricated charges, eroding public trust in the justice system and raising serious concerns about impartiality.
Beyond political interference, other external actors, including prosecutors, forensic experts, and the judiciary, also play roles in shaping case outcomes. Effective case clearance depends on seamless coordination between police investigators, forensic teams, prosecutors, and judicial authorities. However, bureaucratic inefficiencies, lack of inter-agency collaboration, and internal power struggles within law enforcement agencies often hinder effective case resolution.
Given this reality, the recent proposal by the Judicial Reform Commission to establish a new investigative agency is realistic in alignment with public expectations. But it has sparked an important question: What guarantees are there that this new body will remain free from external influence? Without robust institutional safeguards, there is a risk that the same patterns of political meddling and corruption could persist, merely shifting from one agency to another. To ensure true independence, the new agency would require clear legal protections, strict oversight mechanisms, and a transparent accountability framework to prevent interference from political or other powerful interests. Otherwise, the creation of a new body might simply replicate existing problems rather than resolve them.
Experts argue that Bangladesh police already have specialised investigative agencies, such as the Criminal Investigation Department and the Police Bureau of Investigation, which are capable of handling complex cases. Rather than creating new entities, these agencies can be further strengthened by equipping them with advanced training, modern forensic tools, and sufficient logistical and financial resources to ensure fair, efficient, and impartial investigations. Ultimately, comprehensive institutional reforms, coupled with enhanced training and accountability mechanisms, are necessary to build public trust and ensure a fair and effective justice system.
To be continued
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Dr Md Motiar Rahman is a retired deputy inspector general of police.