The police organisation of Bangladesh like that of any other country occupies a very sensitive and crucial position in the board spectrum of public service. The Chamber's twentieth century dictionary defines police as "The system of regulations for the preservation of order and enforcement of law, alternatively also as the civil officers employed to preserve and maintain order". Without doubt, those are onerous responsibilities. The malfeasance of such vital functionaries as the police will naturally concern all right-thinking citizens. It is in this background that the alleged corruption of police personnel assumes special significance because while the financial damages caused by corrupt policemen may not be very high, comparatively speaking, the bitterness and loss caused by the wrongful deprivation of liberty or the threat of it seriously affect the quality of life in a supposedly democratic policy.

'The Daily Star' in its editorial of 17th September points to the necessity of ... "what needs to be done, what is doable, actionable and, perhaps remediable if not the whole lot, at least some of impact in an exemplary fashion on the corruption scenario". It adds that lack of adequate penal action to the corrupt has been principally responsible for the present morbidity. While that is a valid viewpoint, we have not perhaps realistically dwelt-in-depth on the causative factors of police corruption and the unfortunate part is that even when some practicable recommendations have been made those have not been accorded the appropriate attention.

Under circumstances as above, the well-meaning cynics and conscientious lawmen feel that police shall continue to be the favourite whipping boy of the authorities and masters of all descriptions. They feel that the situation aggravates largely owing to the fact that in Bangladesh, every individual, from the coolie to the emperor, is an expert on the subject of law and order and no group would like to fall behind in their outpourings of the choicest vituperative on police failings. The one similarity in many such well-orchestrated accusations is that there is precious little in it on the subject of remedial actions to be taken to rectify the police aberrations.

The above, however, does not detract from the ground reality that many policemen by reason of their misdeeds eminently deserve such pervasive criticism by individuals and institutions like the 'Transparency International'. The cause for well-founded concern in such annual and continued cataloguing of complaints of corruption should engage our attention so that the polity may embark upon the proper course of remedial action. We may venture to ascertain some facts, though not appreciated in true measure until now, that impinges heavily on policy corruption scenario.

The issue of policeman's pay
Over the years since independence, the pay and emoluments of our policemen have not experienced any salutary change. While pay is not the exclusive determinant of honesty and efficiency, it is a primary contributor towards the attainment of such qualities. And the ground reality is that the overwhelming number of our policemen continue to be equated with the unskilled labour in our national pay structure and also in people's minds. These policemen have been given discretion in order that they can be effective and responsive to the needs of the public. Their role calls upon them to make quick perceptive judgements in the thick of conflict and in the glare of public scrutiny, and errors of judgment on their part can cause irreparable harm.

In the above circumstances when a policeman's responsibilities and obligations are peculiar and distinguishing from other public servants thereby entitling them to special consideration in regard to their rate of pay and pension, in reality, our policemen with hopelessly low pay enjoy wide ranging powers to curtail liberty. Does not irresponsibility and illegal practice get a fillip from such dispensation, one may justifiably ask?

Sanitising the recruitment
While police leaders may have to share a part of the blame, the ugly reality is that the volume of political interference in the recruitment process of subordinate police ranks is shocking and disgusting during all political regimes. The politically chosen appointees mostly become a liability for the individual politician and the public at large. In other words, undesirable elements find entry into positions that do not need them. Such recruits become reckless at the earliest to recoup their investments with bionic speed without any qualms of conscience. Once in uniform this lot lets the lure of the lucre take its toll and do not hesitate to deviate from the norms.

The politicians who are the controllers are mostly not interested to initiate a concentrated drive that would make it difficult for dishonest persons to remain in focal positions.

The social scene
The concerned citizen should perhaps ask whether the aggressively acquisitive behaviour of the influence-peddling new rich class of our society coupled with the criminalisation of our political process have encouraged the potential delinquency lurking in many hearts including our low-paid policemen. This is a field reality with which well-meaning police managers are grappling and they reportedly find it difficult to ensure immunity to the get rich-quick virus. There is no denying that the conspicuous consumption of the arrogant new rich have their unsavoury impact on the policemen who, on account of the nature of their job, are witnesses to the reckless and lavish spending of the former. After all, policemen are humans too who could resist everything but temptation. This dimension of the managerial predicament demand appreciation by the discerning polity.

The desirable way
Since maximum corruption is due to poor service conditions, it should improve commensurate with the nature of a job the policeman performs. The much needed attitudinal change will occur when the proper environment enabling policemen to serve with a sense of pride and reasonable fulfilment emerge. At the same time corruption should be dealt with an iron hand.

To minimise corruption the unholy alliance between criminal policemen and corrupt self-serving politicians needs to be broken and both must be brought before the glare of public scrutiny. Drastic disciplinary processes once started must not be politically interfered with.

Let any prudent person enter the police lines and see for himself what the majority of our policemen eat, where do they live and what is their take-home pay. Let him also find out the average working hours of a policeman. It is strongly likely that the visitor will mostly find ungrudging sons of the peasants of Bangladesh ever ready to the call of duty. Like ordinary Bangladeshis they have reconciled to their fate and quietly wait for a better tomorrow. Like their countrymen they display infinite patience and commendable resilience.

The time has come for our people to know the per-capita policing expenditure so that they can judge their policemen's performance in proper perspective. They should also know why policemen are inclined to behave in a less-than-impartial manner and why the distinction between public and not-so-public servants are gradually thinning? And how long it would take for policing expenditures to come out of the pernicious clutches of the so-called non-development label?

Finally, why should money be a problem for mainstream police uplift and modernisation when the same can be diverted from other heads? These are matters answers to which brook no further delay.

Muhammad Nurul Huda is a former Secretary and IGP.