TIB blasts role of some law enforcement agency members

A section of law enforcement agency members have been playing such a role that it makes them appear to be violators of law rather than its protector, Executive Director of Transparency International Bangladesh Dr Iftekharuzzaman said today.

“My concern is, if this continues and cannot be controlled effectively then there will be a time when their name has to be changed. The ‘law enforcement agency’ has to be changed as ‘law violation agency’,” he said.

He was addressing a press conference arranged by Human Rights Forum Bangladesh (HRFB) at Dhaka Reporters Unity to address media about concerns and recommendations made by the United Nations Committee against Torture (CAT) during a recent session in Geneva.

Both direct and indirect instances of a section of law enforcement agency members’ involvement in almost all kinds of criminal activities could be found more often in news reports and other reliable sources, Iftekharuzzaman said.

No one wants to see law enforcement agency members’ playing such a role, he said, adding CAT in its concluding observations has recommended on giving importance, among others, on the political will to properly address the issue.

There should be an unambiguous pledge from the state’s top level and its effective implementation, he added.

Apart from departmental probe over allegation against law enforcement agency members, there should be objective and independent investigation as well, he said.

He also stressed on the need for conducting judicial probe.

He also urged the government to take time-bound action plan to implement recommendations made by the UN body to address custodial and other forms of torture by law enforcement agency members.