IGP calls for depoliticised, independent police force
Staff Reporter :
Inspector General of Police (IGP) Baharul Alam has called for establishing an independent institutional framework for the Bangladesh Police—free from political influence—to ensure accountability, neutrality, and public trust in law enforcement.
Speaking at a roundtable discussion titled “Police Reform in Bangladesh: Challenges and the Way Forward” held at Karwan Bazar in Dhaka on Saturday, the IGP expressed concern over the persistent perception of political interference within the force.
The event was jointly organised by The Daily Prothom Alo and the Retired Police Officers’ Welfare Association.
“Even I sometimes hear people ask, ‘Is he our man?’—and such questions truly sadden me,” said Baharul Alam.
“The work of the police is not political; it is professional. Yet this mindset shows how deeply politicisation has affected public perception.”
The IGP emphasised that while the government acts as the guardian of the nation, the police must be allowed to perform their duties independently and without external pressure.
“There must be a clear assurance that political influence will not interfere with law enforcement,” he said.
“If the police can operate under a truly independent institutional framework, both accountability and neutrality will be guaranteed.”
He further noted the challenges officers face in maintaining independence while executing their duties. “I often fear whether I can make decisions freely. When instructions come regarding arrests or investigations, one must ask—where is the independence then?”
Reflecting on the events of the July 2024 mass uprising, Baharul Alam said the crisis exposed a deep erosion of public trust in the police.
“The situation became so dire that, for the first time in 150 years, police officers abandoned stations in some areas.
Even during the Liberation War, this never happened. People’s loss of faith in us should make us deeply introspective,” he remarked.
Several distinguished participants attended the discussion, including former IGP Nurul Huda, legal analyst and adviser Asif Nazrul, Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) Executive Director Dr. Iftekharuzzaman, human rights activist Nur Khan, Professor Shahinaz Huda, and former police officer M. Akbar Ali. Representatives from different political parties were also present.
TIB’s Dr. Iftekharuzzaman stressed that reform should not be limited to the police alone, adding that intelligence agencies also require structural reform as their influence significantly affects law enforcement operations.
Legal adviser Asif Nazrul said, “Unless we break the culture of ‘my man, your man,’ law enforcement agencies will never regain the trust of the people.”
In his concluding remarks, IGP Baharul Alam reiterated that while political governments are responsible for running the country, they must refrain from influencing administrative or law enforcement matters.
“If we can establish this belief, the police will be able to perform their true role. All we seek is to regain public confidence,” he said.
He urged policymakers to reassess the extent of governmental control over the police and to grant operational independence as outlined in the law.
“If the police are given freedom to function according to the law, public trust will return,” he asserted.
Summing up the discussion, participants agreed that police reform goes beyond promotions or administrative reshuffling—it must involve moral, institutional, and political neutrality.
They expressed hope that the law enforcement agencies of Bangladesh would once again become a true symbol of public confidence and justice.