The New Nation - Internet Edition

ONE of the pledges of the incumbent government was in the area of police reforms. The people were told that deep cleansing measures would be taken in the police force and sweeping reforms carried out with some key objectives in view. These were: freeing of the police from political control of whosoever is in power or runs the government, addressing very thoroughly corruption and immorality at different tiers of the force, ensuring that police would respond properly to complaints from members of the public and improving the logistical and other facilities to make it a more effective force to fight crimes.

It appears that a comprehensive plan was submitted from the highest level of the police force for taking action by the government to these ends. But this plan is reportedly wasting away. There is little move in response to it or drawing up new plans for police reforms although hardly six months are left before the expiry of its tenure. Therefore, the worry is growing that the opportunities will remain for police force to be once again utilised as private army or for stamping out civil and political liberties like in the past. Thus, this force would not be enabled for good governance in the future.

The police are guided by an ordinance of 1861 introduced by British rulers. The unchanged ordinance was found handy and used by all governments since then and is the worst manifestation of misuse of police power by party governments. Thus, expectations are that the police would be reformed. But the earlier hopes in this regard are fading. The government should take active interest in police reforms and carry out the same with a sense of the highest priority before a new government takes over after parliamentary elections.