Police Reform: Tight rein pitched for police

The Police Reform Commission has recommended extensive measures to rein in the police and considering the abolishment of Rapid Action Battalion.
In its report submitted to Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus yesterday, the commission stated that the police's use of force against civilians will have to be the last resort and will have to be precise, proportional, and appropriate.
The use of force will be governed by the rules of engagement developed for UN peacekeepers, which allow it only for self-defence. Bangladeshi police deployed in UN peacekeeping missions already follow these standards.
"This will minimise the risk of loss of life," read the recommendations.
The commission proposed assessing the need for Rab by reviewing its past activities and allegations of human rights violations against it.
It also recommended introducing measures to combat custodial torture, legal harassment by the police, extortion, arbitrary arrests, and enforced disappearances.
To eliminate the risk of custodial torture, the report suggested introducing clear-walled interrogation cells in every police station.
To counter the involvement of police in enforced disappearances, the commission recommended that police going out on raids for arrests will have to wear GPS trackers and bodycams.
The commission recommended opening a hotline for citizens so that they can file a complaint regarding any police officer refusing to disclose his or her identity during a search or conducting the search without a warrant.
In addition, arrests made between dusk and dawn must be done in presence of a magistrate, or a representative of the local government body, the report said.
Addressing concerns about arbitrary arrests under section 54 and custodial remand under section 167 of the Criminal Procedure Code, 1898, the commission underscored the need for implementing directives of the High Court and Supreme Court in this regard.
These directives aim to prevent misuse of power during interrogations and arrests. However, government appeals against these rulings have delayed implementation. The commission recommended that the government withdraw its appeals.
To prevent extortion by police on the streets, the commission recommended that traffic police wear bodycams while making traffic stops and fining rules violators. Law enforcers checking vehicles on the roads or at checkpoints will also have to wear bodycams or be within clear visibility of CCTV camera, the report said.
To curb legal harassment, the commission included a measure that states that people who have not been accused in a first information report (FIR) cannot be arrested without submitting the case before a court and obtaining its order for such arrests.
Additionally, it says, "The culture of including multiple 'unnamed persons' in FIRs must be discarded." If a police member intentionally harasses someone in such a case, legal action has to be taken against him or her.
The report also said that until and unless someone has been proven guilty by court, the police cannot parade the person in front of the media.
It proposed that the National Human Rights Commission be empowered for taking direct steps to investigate allegations of human rights violations by members of law enforcement agencies.
The reform body also suggested the formation of a statutory or a constitutional body called the Independent Police Commission, tasked with ensuring accountability and neutrality of the law enforcers.
The commission recommended setting up a human rights cell in the head office of the law enforcement agency, so that they themselves can probe human rights abuses perpetrated by or instigated by officers.
The commission made it mandatory for the police stations to accept general diaries (GD) and the police cannot delay or refuse to accept any FIR.
Safar Raj Hossain, chief of the commission, at a press briefing yesterday said, "We have reviewed laws that might put people in distress if enforced, and specified various sections of 22 laws for amendment, revision, and replacement."
The amendment of the laws, including the Police Act, 1861, Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898, and the Police Regulation of Bengal, 1943, will make the police people-friendly and accountable force that protects human rights.
The nine-page report also suggested a "watchdog or oversight committee" as a short-term measure to prevent deliberate interference in police work or corruption. An all-party committee can be formed in each thana or upazila, which will act as an "oversight body" at the local level and take effective measures to prevent corruption, it recommended.
It suggested that a special task force can be formed for long-term recommendations taking into account the experiences of the all-party committee.
The commission recommended re-evaluation of the present reward (medals and allowances) structure for police personnel since there is room for influence and there are no specific criteria for getting the rewards.
The commission also recommended identifying all police officers involved in injuring and killing protesters during the July-August uprising and bringing them to justice.
The commission's recommendations were divided into three parts: one immediately implementable, one for implementations in the medium-term, and one for long term.
Bangladesh, with a population of approximately 17-18 crore, has 2.2 lakh police personnel tasked with handling over 3,000 laws and regulations.
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