The New Nation - Internet Edition

THE President, Professor Iajuddin Ahmed had highlighted the indispensability of reforming the police force when the present government took charge. The caretaker government, since then, indicated that it was well aware of the need to improve the functioning of the police force and steps were seen taken to this end. But the reforms of the police force today are far from complete. Conceiving what these reforms should be and carrying them to a successful conclusion, remains the challenge.

The government very rightly identified reform of the police force as a major task. Only about five months are left for this government to complete its tenure. But the reforms are yet to be completed. Among the major issues to be addressed in police reforms is their subservience to the political goals of a government. One of the worst weaknesses of the police seen under party-led governments was their use to serve their partisan ends no matter whether the police observed human rights and other norms. This, together with powers of the government to control selection and posting affect the functioning of the police force. These were among the malaises that are detrimental to proper functioning of the police.

All of these issues, specially the ones of politicising the police and the in-built corruptions in the selection and posting of policemen, must be considered very important issues for the purpose of reforms. The aim of the reforms should be the introduction of appropriate safeguards to ensure that no government can quite seek to use the police force more like its own private army than allowing it to play its role as the defender of public interests. Steps to improve the physical and logistical abilities of the police force, will also have to be continued steadily.