Stop telling lies to deny crimes
The parliamentary standing committee on home affairs yesterday asked police to quit "their age-old habit of telling lies” to deny incidence of crimes and save themselves.
“Telling lies would not work at this time when mass media and different social media are vibrant,” Tipu Munshi, chairman of the committee, told a meeting at Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban.
He said people could take photographs and record any incident with smartphones like they did during the Pahela Baishakh molestation on the Dhaka University campus.
Criticising top police officials including its chief AKM Shahidul Hoque for their primary denial of the sexual assault, the committee said how come police identified seven to eight assaulters from video footage after such denial?
Meanwhile, Sammilito Sangskritik Jote yesterday submitted a memorandum to State Minister for Home Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal demanding immediate arrest of the Pahela Baishakh assaulters.
The platform of cultural activists also condemned Thursday's gang-rape of a Garo woman in a microbus in the capital and called for initiating a social movement against sexual assault.
An Awami League lawmaker, who was present at the JS committee's meeting, quoted Tipu Munshi as saying, “At first you (police) denied incidence of any sex assault on women on the Dhaka University campus. But in the face of people's demonstration on roads and social media, you finally identified several youths and announced bounty to help catch them.”
The committee also asked top officials of law enforcement agencies to speak to media cautiously.
“The government gets into embarrassing situations and its image is tarnished for your irresponsible and contradictory remarks,” a committee member said.
An additional inspector general of police and other top officials, who were present at the meeting, remained silent at that time, said meeting sources.
Pointing to the gang-rape of the indigenous woman, the parliamentary watchdog asked police to bring the rapists to book. “The committee members discussed the issue and asked police whether it is true that they have so far failed to arrest anyone, and police acknowledged it,” Tipu Munshi told reporters after the meeting.
The committee instructed police to arrest the rapists immediately and ensure exemplary punishment for them, he added.
The committee also asked police to arrest those who have issued death threats to 10 eminent citizens including the DU vice chancellor and ensure their security.
“Police must remain on high alert before a crime occurs.... It is no use moving after attacks happened,” added Munshi.
Munshi, also an AL MP, however, said overall performance of police was satisfactory but in some cases, they seemed to be "imperfect" and that they needed to fill the gaps.
He said the committee also asked police to arrest the killers of bloggers.
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