The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

Speakers stressed on coordination among police force, mass media and human rights organisations to implement human rights in the country at a roundtable yesterday.

Organisation of Social Environment and Human Rights Implementation (OSEHI) organised the roundtable titled "Coordination Among Police Force, Mass Media and Human Rights Organisations" at the National Press Club.

These three organisations are working for the interest of social development and for the welfare of people. People's expectation from these organisations could never be fulfilled, as they do not work in cooperation with one another.

That is why the nation is deprived of the facilities from these organisations, said Goni Mia Babul, Vice Chairman of OSEHI.

An excellent inter-relation among these organisations can establish peace and discipline in the society and make democracy fruitful, he added.

Professor Mozaffar Ahmad, Chairman of Transparency International Bangladesh, emphasised on reformation of the police force by providing them high remuneration and quality training for developing their skills.

The mass media are strongly controlled by the Government in Bangladesh. So the mass media cannot work independently. The Government should play key role for coordination among these organisations, he added.

Barrister Amirul Islam, former president of Supreme Court Bar Association, said, a number of assaults on journalists by the police occurred in the previous year. The police think the journalists as their rivals. At first the norms and values of the police force should be changed for their ethical development.

He also urged the government to formulate a new cell of police force, which would be engaged to investigate crimes and not for any other purpose.

Ashraful Huda, former Inspector General of Police, said, the police force were misused by the political leaders several times. The political leaders interfered in transferring or awarding promotion of the police violating the chain of command of police force. All the previous government deployed the police force several times to achieve political gains rather than to maintain discipline or control crime.

The low scale remuneration of police is another cause of being corrupt. The Government should concentrate on overcoming these problems.

Alena Khan, Executive Director of Bangladesh Manobadhikar Sangshta, Mostafa Alammah, Chairman of Muktijoddha Sangbadik Parisad, Habibur Rahman, Vice Chairman of Jamuna Bank Ltd, Saiful Islam, Joint Secretary of Democracy Right Movement, also spoke while HM Ibrahim, Chairman of OSEHI, presided over the roundtable.