With a view to ensuring accessible policing service, Barisal police took an initiative to install a number of "complaint boxes" so that citizens can file complaints with police.

On September 13, Md Shafiqul Islam, deputy inspector general (DIG) of police, Barisal range, launched the project by inaugurating a complaint box at Ashwini Kumar Hall in the city.  

Since then, 35 complaint boxes, installed in different areas including Barisal metropolitan city, have been made open to public. Of the 35 boxes, 19 were installed in Barisal city while 16 installed elsewhere in the district. 

Nobody will perhaps cast any doubt on the initiative aiming to provide effective policing service to citizens. But the initiative has failed to create a buzz as police have received only a handful of complaints in more than two months while most people are in the dark about the initiative. 

Until November 22, police altogether received 45 complaints -- mostly drug and land-related issues, said Md Saiful Islam, superintendent of police (SP) of Barisal.

SM Iqbal, president of Barisal Sangiskritik Sangathan Samonnoy Parishad, said police have set up the complaint boxes, but have not started any campaign to make people aware of the initiative. 

"Without awareness programmes, this kind of initiative will not see the light of success," he added.

Akkas Hossain, a freedom fighter, said, "We are not aware that police have installed complaint boxes." He said police should have taken an awareness-building initiative first.

Barisal SP acknowledged that there was a lack of monitoring as some of the top police officials were busy with some other important assignments. He said they had already started looking into the matter. 

At the same time, the SP does not want to be demoralised by the number of complaints they have received. He underscored the need for increasing publicity so that more people get to know about the initiative and feel encouraged to take benefit of the policing service.   

However, Md Abdur Rouf Khan, deputy police commissioner (south) of Barisal Metropolitan Police (BMP), has a different opinion about the lesser number of complaints. 

He said this is the sign that the rate of crime is on the decline.