Police friend or foe?

Thanks to the media, we came to know how police committed all sorts of atrocities.

I do not think the DS sports editor needed to say sorry for not covering the first day's (second Test) play. The barbaric treatment that the police have meted out to the journalists is nothing short of disgusting. This not only leaves a bad taste in the mouth but also makes us look like a failed nation in front of the whole world. When you have cameras covering the events for the whole world and this kind of incidents take place, it only brings out the truth about Bangladesh's problems in day-to-day life. From beating up of a housewife during hartal and now this, it is something that needs to be dealt with extremely stern hands. Police members involved in the atrocities should be punished twice as hard as regular citizens because they are violating the law, whereas they are supposed to protect it. I think the problem is self explanatory; when you have an ex-student leader in the police then this kind of incidents are bound to happen as we all know the type of people who are in student politics these days. The only way out is to punish the culprits by throwing them off the police force and registering criminal cases against them. This should also be done against the police involved in beating the helpless housewife during hartal. This is despicable and my head bows down in shame when I hear of such incidents taking place back home.

Sometimes I feel that the only remedy for Bangladesh is to have a dictator who is honest and patriotic. Only then we can get rid of all the evil elements from Bangladesh, including the corrupt politicians and government officials.

Shahriyar Peterborough, Ontario, Canada

Thank you very much for the editorial on police atrocities on journalists covering the Australia-Bangladesh 2nd Test in Chittagong. I, as everyone who viewed TV footages or read about the incident, am outraged by the appalling police action against journalists. It is indeed expected and understandable that the newspapers would flood their pages in condemning and criticising the police. Much has been already said while much is yet to be published.

In my view, there is another dimension of what happened on that day. Could the journalists avoid the incident through handling it differently?

Jamiul Walid On e-mail

Recent police atrocities in Kansat and Chittagong stadium convinced me that free democratic Bangladesh does not need this force with such an attitude. How long can we bear the burden of this 'law enforcer' with tax payers' money? They need thorough counselling about their work.

Dr. Islam On e-mail

The whole world observed the brutality of Bangladesh police in Chittagong on 16 April. "Police is the friend of public"-- that's what is written in front of every police line of the country. But do we really need such kind of a friend? Even more fundamental question is "Are they really our friends?" The attitude of the police, Rab & other armed forces of this country has been under question for a long time when it comes to the issue of dealing with general people. Just a few weeks back, our so called friends killed 20 harmless poor citizens at Kansat. And this time they showed the kind of ruthlessness that is beyond the wildest imagination of any civilised person. Where shall we go then if we need the help of law enforcing agencies? Who will assure us of social security that has gone down to zero? Photojournalist Anurup Tito might not be able to come back to his normal life (God save him) and suspension & withdrawing officers to the line are the only actions that the authorities could take. Why should not they be tried under the existing law of the country? Why should not they be charged with attempt to murder? It has been a regular practice of our law enforcing agencies to break the law and use it against the innocent. They are the biggest accomplices of the criminals. Nobody wants to go to police unless and until it is unavoidable and if by mistake someone goes to police, he or she will have the lesson of the life time. The extent of their corruption is beyond any limit.

Let's all make them understand how detested they are in this country.

Dhrubo Gulshan, Dhaka