Crime by Lower-tier Cops: Top brass find it hard to tackle

The suspension of four policemen of Darus Salam Police Station in October over alleged extortion was no one-off.

Since December last year, over a dozen such cases in the DMP area have put the police image in the dock.           

Take the example of Shamsuzzoha Farhad and his wife. The couple were totally shocked when two police officers appeared at their door in the city's Rupnagar and demanded a hefty sum if they wanted to avoid landing in jail.

“There are numerous allegations against you. Give us Tk 5 lakh or else you and your family members will be taken to the police station and then to court in five cases,” the policemen threatened Farhad, as the couple sat in their apartment on December 8 last year.

Frightened, Farhad allegedly gave Sub-Inspector Firoz Wahid and Assistant Sub-Inspector Mizan Tk 2.85 lakh.

Later, he lodged a complaint with the deputy commissioner of Mirpur division against the two cops and took shelter in a relative's house to avoid harassment. In fear of retribution, however, he withdrew the complaint within a few days, he said.

This incident was not reported in the media, but about a dozen cases of police brutality and bribery that came to light since then have left a deep scar on the image of the force (see chart).

"On a look into the law and order situation, we have reasons to believe that it [law enforcement agencies] has forgotten its core value that it is accountable to the community it serves…" the Supreme Court said in its full verdict on the arbitrary use of powers by law enforcement agencies using section 54 and several others of the CrPC.

Law enforcers must earn public respect and the police department must preserve and advance the principles of democracy, the court said on Thursday.

An officer officer shall not exercise his power arbitrarily violating the dignity, honour, liberty and fundamental rights of a citizen, the top court noted.

But such arbitrary highhandedness of police officers does not go unnoticed by the police authorities either.

Having failed to contain corruption by policemen at different police stations, the Dhaka Metropolitan Police authorities early this year started a quick search of officers. 

Using the DMP's counter-intelligence unit, the police authorities found 124 such SIs and ASIs and reported them to the Police Headquarters. The DMP also recommended that the police HQ post these errant police members in remote areas as a “punishment,” DMP officials said. 

Most of those cops -- 85 SIs and 39 ASIs -- were posted in the DMP area and many of them in the past had used their influence to stop their transfer outside Dhaka, one DMP official said.

Despite such punitive measures, officials of these two tiers are still indulging themselves in corruption, the latest being the case of the four cops of Darus Salam police in Mirpur.

The four -- an SI, an ASI and two constables -- took Tk 10,000 and a necklace from a businessman, threatening to implicate him in a drug case, according to the complaint lodged by the businessman, Chowdhury Moshiur Rahman.  

Asked why police members indulge in corruption, officials said one reason is that they have to pay hefty sums to get the job. Besides, political backing and hobnobbing with senior police officials give them a sense of invincibility. So they get involved in extortion and bribery.

The job of a constable costs Tk 6-7 lakh while that for an SI Tk-15 lakh, they added.

Under the existing system, a constable may be promoted to the post of ASI after six years of service, subject to passing of a certain test. Half the posts of SIs are filled with fresh recruitments and the rest with the existing ASIs who pass a certain examination.

The minimum educational qualification for constables is SSC and that for for SIs is graduation.

Currently, there are around 16,500 SIs and 17,000 ASIs.

“Following some incidents [of bribery] in quick successions, we asked our intelligence unit and deputy commissioners of different crime divisions to collect information about the desperate sub-inspectors and assistant sub-inspectors,” Joint Commissioner (headquarters) of DMP Anwar Hossain told The Daily Star recently.

“We sent negative reports about each of the policemen to the relevant section of the police headquarters with request for their transfer to remote areas,” he added.

SI Firoz Wahid of Rupnagar Police Station is one of those removed from the capital and posted in Rangpur range. Before his posting in Rupnagar, he was at Kalabagan Police Station.

Asked if the measure is enough to check public harassment at the hands of errant cops, Anwar said such officials had been posted in “dumping grounds” where they would have very little activities involving people.

DMP Commissioner Asaduzzaman Mia said it was a continuous, internal process to ensure accountability of the police force. “Nobody will be spared if found to have misused power.”

Many police members are also sacked when they are found to be involved in such unlawful activities, which is never made public, the DMP boss said.

Some, however, get back their job following court orders.

Former police chief Nur Mohammad said if any policeman indulged in corruption, they should face severe disciplinary action.

“Transferring such officials to other places in my view is not an action,” he said.

Some examples of police corruption

Jan 9

Bangladesh Bank official Golam Rabby was tortured for refusing to pay bribe of Tk 5 lakh in the capital's Mohammadpur. Police reportedly threatened to implicate him in narcotics cases. Later, Masud Shikder, SI of Mohammadpur Police Station, was suspended.

Jan 15

Dhaka South City Corporation employee Bikash Chandra Das was beaten in the capital's Jatrabari area by SI Arshadul Islam Akash of Jatrabari Police Station and his subordinates.

Jan 17             

ASI Aminul Islam of Kafrul Police Station was closed over allegations that he demanded bribe from NGO official Proloy Baidya and threatened to frame him in a case for possessing yaba, a contraband tablet. Aminul was closed two days later following a departmental probe. 

Feb 4 

Tea vendor Babul Matabbar of Mirpur, who had suffered severe burns in an incident involving police, died from his injuries after fighting for life for about 16 hours. Five policemen of Shah Ali Police Station were suspended following the incident.  

Mar 26

SI Debashis and ASI Shafiar were suspended over detaining three employees of a travel agency and extorting Tk 75,000 from them.

Jun 19

An SI of the Criminal Investigation Department detained two Buddhist traders in Rampura. The two were released only after they bribed officials Tk 20,000.