The New Nation - Internet Edition

UNB, Dhaka

Inspector General of Police Nur Mohammad yesterday said policemen violate human rights for a lack of knowledge about people's fundamental rights.

"For lack of knowledge about human rights, policemen in many countries violate human rights through illegal arrest and detention, arbitrary or unlawful killing, torture, arbitrary interference in people's private life and infringement of the freedom of press," he said.

The police chief made the observations while addressing the inauguration ceremony of a 5-day Commonwealth Human Rights Training for police officers at Rajarbagh Police Lines in the afternoon.

He said the cops have to safeguard some basic rights of a country's citizens during preventing crime and enforcing law.The IGP noted that people are now more concerned about their rights and franchise than before.

Police cannot protect human rights in any community if they do not know how they should work in a framework of internationally accepted human-right standards and practices, he said.

" We no longer believe in the colonial impression of police, which had more to do with suppression and oppression of the people," said the new-generation police top boss, who was brought in amid sweeping reforms in the country under the interim regime.

But, nowadays, Bangladesh police is trying to make a U-turn by rebuilding its image, and the Commonwealth Human Rights Training would mark as a leap forward towards that end, he hoped.

The IGP believes that continued cooperation and more such C' wealth-sponsored training programmes would go a long way in uplifting the image of police department.

Dhaka Metropolitan Police Commissioner Naim Ahmed, Additional IGP (Training) SM Sajjat Ali and Head of Commonwealth Secretariat Human Rights Unit Dr Purna Sen also spoke on the occasion.