Cops' devious fund raising
We are taken aback by the news that some personnel of Barisal Metropolitan Police (BMP) were involved in creating a joint bribe fund as speed money for promotion. The fund was meant for bribing ministry high-ups to expedite promotion of the 230 cops who had successfully passed departmental exam to be entitled to it. Success in exam would not be enough, which led to the creation of the bribery fund where each of the cops contributed between Tk 30,000 and Tk 50,000. How could a low paid policeman manage such a huge sum without resorting to illegal means in the first place? The most appalling fact is that a senior official brokered the whole plan. In Bangladesh police administration is generally perceived to be corrupt and this incident only goes to show how a chain of corruption can be contrived on short notice.
It is reassuring that the Police headquarters have suspended 10 cops for their involvement in this matter. But suspension is a temporary measure. The mediator police officer is yet to be taken to task. It is also important to find those high-ups for whom the bribe money was meant. We urge the police authority to take exemplary action against those found guilty because it involves a fundamental issue of raising the dwindling public confidence in the police force.
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