Police Disobedience: A Growing Concern in Law Enforcement

A recent incident in Kakrail, the capital, has raised concerns about the growing trend of police disobedience. Fifty policemen were standing in front of the inspection building, while many people were getting ice cream. One and a half to two hundred officers were protesting on the road in front of the inspection building gate, demanding permission to enter the building.

A Deputy Commissioner (DC) of the DMP who was on duty there tried to disperse the angry mob, but no policeman was involved. At one point, the officer complained to the superior officer about the behavior of the policemen. He said, ‘This is not how the force works, sir. Nobody listens. Even the police can’t run like this.’

Former Inspector General of Police (IGP) Muhammad Nurul Huda told Ajker newspaper that it is now most important to establish a chain of command in the broken police system. Otherwise, the law and order situation will not improve.

At around 11:30 am, in front of the audit building in Kakrail, it was seen that one and a half to two hundred angry officers of the auditors of the office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) were trying to enter the building shouting slogans. They started protesting on the road in front of the building’s gate due to a police blockade.

The agitators chanted slogans demanding the removal of the existing pay gap in the two grades of auditor posts. Their complaint is that more than 2500 grade 11 officers have been de-promoted for a long time. The court’s instructions are not implemented.

DMP Joint Commissioner (Crime and Operations) Sana Shaminur Rahman came there at about half past two. He also tried unsuccessfully to promote the police. At one point, the protesters stood up and confronted the police. Somehow they surrounded 60-70 policemen.

All of the policemen standing there had a look of disappointment on their faces. Yesterday’s incident is no exception to the lack of action seen among the police after August 5.

When it was pointed out that the members did not go to the operation despite the instructions, Shaminur Rahman, joint commissioner of DMP, told the Ajker newspaper, ‘Why won’t the police listen? We’re taking some time to ourselves.’

Around 3:30 pm, senior officers of the CAG office came to the road and expressed solidarity with the demands of the offenders and called for a discussion. The agitators then left the road and moved towards the auditorium of the inspection building.