As the interim government takes steps to reform the police force, a majority of citizens want a force that is free from political influence and impartial in enforcing the law, according to a survey conducted by the Public Security Division of the Ministry of Home Affairs.
The third most preferred characteristic was a corruption-free police force, according to a survey, “The Police We Want”, notes a press release issued by the division today (3 December).
The survey, conducted between 31 October and 15 November this year, received feedback from 24,442 individuals – around 95% of whom were male.
After the fall of the Awami League government on 5 August, more than 500 police stations across the country were attacked. Since then, there has been a noticeable decline in confidence within the force, weakening its ability to maintain law and order nationwide.
As a result, there have been calls to reform the police force in order to restore public trust and transform it into a modern, people-friendly institution.
The survey was conducted to ascertain people’s views on the issues they perceive within the police force and the changes they wish to see.
According to survey data, 89.5% of respondents strongly advocated an end to the use of the police force for political purposes.
Furthermore, 77.9% of respondents emphasised the urgent need to address police corruption stemming from abuse of power.
Additionally, 74.9% of participants stressed the importance of accountability for law enforcement officers involved in enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings.
Around 71.5% of people demand punishment for police personnel involved in excessive use of force in handling protest marches and suppressing views opposed to the ruling circles.
The majority of respondents – 95% – demand reforms to address the “culture of fake cases and ghost cases” used by law enforcement to suppress dissent during the previous Awami League regime.
Among the respondents, based on 14 professional categories, the highest participation came from service holders (36.4%), followed by students (27.2%), businessmen (7.6%) and engineers (7.1%).
Among the 24,442 respondents, the majority (86.6%) were individuals aged between 18 and 44.
The highest number of respondents were from the Dhaka district, followed by Chattogram and Cumilla.
Former IGP Muhammad Nural Huda told TBS that the survey underscores the long-standing desires of mass people of the country.
“It’s a strong message to political parties that have long used the police to serve their political interests and will. It’s also a clear message to the force that they are appointed to serve the people, not any political party. I hope the interim government will use the survey to facilitate police reform,” he added.
91.7% want amendments to remand provisions
According to the survey’s findings, around 91.7% of respondents wish to see amendments to the provision under Section 167 of The Code of Criminal Procedure regarding police custody or remand for interrogation.
Besides, 80.9% of respondents supported the idea of interrogating female suspects with due respect and in the presence of female police officers.
The second most supported opinion, with 80.2%, was on having a separate interrogation room with a transparent glass enclosure in every police station for questioning detainees.
Additionally, 87% of respondents supported the establishment of an effective call service to address situations where a person refuses to provide identification or where a search is conducted without a search warrant.
43.4% unsatisfied over emergency call services
According to the survey, 56% of respondents expressed satisfaction with the emergency call service 999, a widely publicised initiative. However, 43.4% of respondents either found the service unsatisfactory or were unaware of it.
The online police clearance service has not had a significant impact on the public, the survey found. Around 44.9% of respondents are dissatisfied with the online police clearance service, while over 22% remain unaware of this service.
Only 26.7% of respondents reported that the activities of the victim support centre are satisfactory.
Around 44.9% of respondents reported that the online general diary system is not satisfactory.
There is significant dissatisfaction with the women, children, elderly and disabled desk activities, despite it being a very necessary service.
Some 72.1% of respondents reported that they were not satisfied with the cybercrime helpline for women, and some were not even aware of it.
The e-trafficking prosecution service is also not satisfactory.
60% want independent probe into human rights violation
In regards to how allegations of human rights violations against the police will be investigated, 60% of people responded in favour of forming an independent organisation, the survey finds.
Currently, there is no independent organisation investigating such allegations against the police and Section 18 of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) Act 2009 prohibits the commission from investigating such allegations against the police and law enforcement agencies.
In response to another question regarding how accountability can be ensured in the police force, 58.9% of survey participants responded in favour of forming a regulatory body or commission.
On the other hand, 41.1% were in favour of establishing an independent ombudsman for the police within the constitutional framework.
The survey also shed light on the public’s views on Section 54 of the Criminal Procedure Code, with 82.5% of respondents considering it an easily misused law. Among them, 46.2% called for modernising the section.
Moreover, 39.7% of respondents supported amending Section 54 on the basis of recommendations from higher courts.