Police raise new corps of female sleuths
Bangladesh Police introduced a special intelligence branch comprised of only women.
Special Women Police Contingent (SWPC) deals with criminal activities by women, which have been on the rise.
The police department introduced the new branch recently with a view to curbing sex trade, drug peddling, and trafficking of women and children.
According to police sources, women are being used for trafficking other women and children, drug peddling, smuggling, and for swindling people, as crime lords feel safer to employ women for those jobs since traditionally they raise less suspicion.
Sources said to deal with women criminals Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) already set up an office for SWPC at the office of detective branch (DB) initially with 24 women police led by an assistant commissioner (AC).
Inspector General of Police (IGP) Nur Mohammad told The Daily Star, "Currently, the number of women in the police department is around 2,000, which is less than two percent of the total force. One third of those women are under DMP."
The IGP said, "We will hire 3,000 more women police soon and then we will consider setting up SWPC branches across the country."
DMP Commissioner Naim Ahmed said, "In many cases, male detectives do not have access to the world of women criminals. To deal with those criminals, women police and detectives will be helpful."
"Through the introduction of SWPC, women have been put in commanding positions for the first time in the history of the police department," the DMP commissioner said adding, "Introduction of SWPC will also help bring gender balance to the department and will make policing conform to international standards."
Director General of the Directorate of Narcotics Control (DNC) Humayun Kabir on June 25 said around one lakh people are engaged in illegal drug trade, 40 percent of whom are women.
According to intelligence sources, women criminals are also engaged in swindling people of money, and are forcing under-aged girls into prostitution.
Talking to The Daily Star, AC Sadira Khatun, chief of SWPC, said, "Women are getting involved in various criminal activities like sex trade, women and child trafficking, drug peddling, swindling, and even killing in increasing numbers."
SWPC has been applying various intelligence tactics to infiltrate the world of women criminals, Sadira said adding that the newly set up branch of female sleuths was already successful in unearthing evidence in several cases and in arresting a number of criminals.
She mentioned that SWPC helped DB to arrest suspects who had been involved in the Brac Bank gold robbery in the capital. The women detectives first became friends with Moina, a woman suspect, which led to arrests of the rest of the suspects.
The AC also said they also unearthed the mystery behind the killing of Nazma, a doctor's wife, in the capital by becoming friends with Nargis, the extramarital lover of the doctor, Humayun Kabir.
The SWPC chief, however, said as a newly opened branch it is suffering from various problems including insufficient logistical support and a lack of accommodations.
Comments