TIB News Scan Analysis report of 2002 identified police or law enforcing agency as the most corrupt sector in Bangladesh. TIB's report stated that the most common form of police corruption is abuse of power. The second most form of police corruption was bribery and third was extortion.

TIB had carried out a nationwide household survey on the prevailing corruption scenario in seven sectors of the country in 2002. The respondents were asked to name the most corrupt sector in two ways, one was opinion-based and the other, was on the basis of rate of falling prey to corruption. The police, i.e. the law enforcement agencies have been found to be most corrupt according to both criteria of the household survey.

The principal task of the police administration is to maintain law and order in the country; but they also have some direct and indirect responsibility of containing corruption. Despite that, there are many complaints against the police. As a consequence, the distance between the police and the people is gradually widening.

The number of police has not grown at the same rate ratio as the country's population. Presently, the number of policeman in the country is one lakh nine thousand. In terms of proportion, there is only one police for every 13 thousand persons. Besides, a large chunk of the police force remains busy with providing security for the VIPs. It can be easily understood that the size of the police force is indeed small compared to their responsibility of maintaining law and order in such a huge population. The law and order situation in the country deteriorates and avenues for corruption are created due to many reasons. The existing administrative arrangements in the police force are also responsible to a large extent for its corrupt tendencies. Each year, thousands of cases are lodged against the police in the police headquarters. Between 1 October 2001 and 30 September 2002, punitive measures have been taken against 19 thousand members of the police force; 157 have been dismissed. They range from Additional IG to Constable. But there is no change in the situation.

The administrative thanas or police stations of the country play an important role in efforts to control lawlessness, reduce criminality and check corruption. But there is a dearth of efficient, trained and meritorious police officers for running the police stations. There are also multifarious problems relating to infrastructure. At different times, the governments of the day use the police force for political purposes, as a result of which the legal basis of their work as well as their efficiency and morale suffer serious damage. The recently published UNDP report on 'Human security in Bangladesh' quotes the police as saying that there is regular interference in their work from the political parties, leaders and higher authorities. This research mentions that the police are quite dissatisfied with their existing salary-allowance structure and other facilities.

A Police Commission was constituted in 1988 headed by Justice Aminur Rahman Khan. The main responsibility of that Commission was to submit necessary recommendations after identifying the prevailing problems in the police force. The Commission submitted recommendations consisting of 300 pages, but most of these had not been implemented. Presently, the proposal for establishing a counter intelligence unit headed by an Additional IG and comprising 500 police members, in order to improve the image of the police force and bring back transparency in its working, is under consideration of the Home Ministry.

Reforming the police force has now become urgent in the backdrop of the existing socio-economic realities. Its rules and regulations need to be modernised. Police administration should be decentralised and the basic force should work at sub-district level. The number of police should be raised to control law and order, reduce criminality and curb corruption. The recruitment process for the police force should be such that only meritorious, honest and people committed to public service are selected for the job. By reducing their involvement in the private security of VIPs, the police can be engaged more for the service of the people. The quality of work at the police stations is expected to improve if its responsibility is given to an Assistant Superintendent of Police who had qualified in a BCS examination. Many people are of the view that corruption would decrease manifold if the police are not allowed to use Section 54 of the Criminal Procedure Code indiscriminately. A regulating mechanism involving judges and ombudsman should be evolved to protect innocent people and political opponents from arrest without warrant.

Laws may also be framed for keeping the police officers free from invisible influences. Police officials should be protected from political leaders and influential offenders by provisions such as, making it mandatory to record all instructions from any higher authority and regular monitoring of these records by the office of ombudsman. This will reduce fear of intimidation, which drastically dissuades police from carrying out investigation if the offenders are influential.

Police should be provided with logistic support, modern technological instruments like cameras, tape recorders, videotapes, slides, projectors, wireless, fax, radar screens and computers for qualitative police investigations should be made available. Citizens to be made aware of what the police can and can't do, and such information must be provided and displayed at all police stations.

Entrance into police service should be made such that the police service attract the best quality human product with high moral and integrity standards, together with commitment to public service.

If the salary-allowances and other facilities of the police are made consistent with the prevailing socio-economic milieu; if modern, well-equipped police and counter-intelligence units are raised; in other words, if an educated police force suited to the needs of a civilized country of the 21st century is groomed through radical reforms and empowered to work independently as per law, only then can we hope to improve our present lot.

Mohammed Imam Uddin, a journalist, is Outreach Relations Officer, Transparency International Bangladesh.