Call for reforms in police law

Speaking at a seminar yesterday, they blamed politicisation of the police administration and the use of police for partisan purposes and called for necessary reforms in police laws and political systems that do not conform with the constitution of the country.

The seminar titled 'Repression: State versus Human Rights' was organised jointly by the Centre for Rehabilitation of Torture Survivors (CRTS), Bangladesh and Nagorik Uddyog at the Women's Voluntary Association auditorium in the city.

"The most dangerous thing that the countrymen are afraid of today is appointment of political cadres in the law enforcement agencies," said Dr Kamrul Hasan Khan, general secretary of CRTS, in his keynote speech.

He noted that some 707 people were killed under the custody of different law enforcement agencies as of October 2005, but families of none got justice.

"Thus the deaths in crossfire with Rab and police are being given legal basis," he said.

Dr Kamrul said apparently the law enforcers seem to be responsible for the killings, but the real culprits are the successive political governments who have been continuously torturing their oppositions in their confrontational politics keeping them behind the curtain.

ASM Shahjahan, former inspector general of police, said repression in the name of law is the worst form of tortures which is why police should be responsible to the state and not to the government.

"If police work for the state, the question of repression would not be raised," he said suggesting speedy political reforms and separation of judiciary.

Advocate Sultana Kamal, executive director of Ain O Salish Kendra (ASK), said people are becoming tolerant to injustices and corruption due to growing level of impunity in the society.

"Having no place for justice we have become the most helpless people in the world," she said, adding people even do not have the sense of security and take laws in hand which is more dangerous.

Advocate ZI Khan Panna, chairman of Human Rights Legal Aid Committee of Bangladesh Bar Council, said civil and political rights of people are violated due to police fire.

The right to live is also violated, he said while criticising the deaths in the crossfire.

The last shelter of people is the courts which have also been politicised, said Mamunur Rashid, a cultural personality, suggesting a massive movement for a positive change in the judiciary.

Zakir Hossain, chief executive of Nagorik Uddyog, demanded formation of an independent human rights commission, separation of judiciary and activation of an independent anti-corruption commission to curb corruption and establish justice in the society.

Nawazesh Ali Khan, a TV personality, also took part in the discussion presided over by CRTS Chairman Dr Abdus Sobhan.