While measures such as the Rapid Action Battalion have made some progress in reducing crimes to some extent, we still see killing, rapes, armed robberies, kidnapping, extortion, etc on a day-to-day basis. Rab is basically a bureaucratic initiative without involvement of people, which has come under controversy over extra-judicial killing (cross-fire deaths) and violation of human rights. A number of reforms in the police administration, inter alia, need to be undertaken to effectively address the issue of improving public security in Bangladesh.

A Police-Citizen Committee at each Thana/Upzilla (both municipal and non-municipal) could be established. This committee should consist of members of the police force and other government officials (OC, other police officers, Upazilla Nirbahi Officer) and representatives of major political parties and other distinguished citizens such as the principals and headmasters of educational institutions, women's representatives, etc. It could be a 15-20 member committee. The inclusion of major political parties will create a balance in the committee that would help remove mutual distrust and apprehension about the objectives of such a committee. The committee should:

be independent and neutral in the sense that it will deal with crimes regardless of any party or group affiliations;

meet every month to review the overall law and order situation in the thana/upazilla and local municipal areas, and recommend appropriate measures to deal with any particular problems;

involve the local community to seek cooperation and assistance in reducing the incidence of crimes and bringing criminals to justice; and

encourage people to lodge complaints of police corruption and political patronisation of crimes, if any, with the committee without fear or favour. This may see a reduction in patronisation of crimes by law enforcement agencies

Similarly, there should be police-citizen committees at other levels of police administration such as SP, DIG, and IGP (national level). This means we also need Zilla Police-Citizen Committee, Divisional Police-Citizen Committee and National Police-Citizen Committee. The National Committee could be broader in its mandate and be constituted as the main advisory body to advise the government (Home Ministry) on law enforcement and public security in the country. This National Committee could provide feedback to the Parliamentary Standing Committee for Home Affairs on aspects of law enforcement and public security.

The operation of the committee system suggested above will, I believe, assist in curbing the police corruption and other excesses as well as political patronisation of crimes and terrorism. This will also restore the confidence of the police in working independently without political pressure or influence, and people will come forward to cooperate with the police in improving the overall law and order situation in the country

A very important aspect of law enforcement is the level of punishment inflicted on the criminals. As the law requires, punishment must match the crime. Any lenient view of crimes will further aggravate the current alarming law and order situation in Bangladesh.

If we fail to "terrorise" the terrorists by harsh punishment, we will not be able to eliminate terrorism from the society. Any palliative will not solve the problem for sure.

Abdul Quader writes from Canberra, Australia.