‘Police reform fails without revamping intelligence agencies’

Staff reporter :

Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) Executive Director Dr Iftekharuzzaman has warned that police reform efforts will not succeed unless intelligence and security agencies are also restructured.

Speaking at a roundtable titled “Bangladesh Police Reform: Challenges and Way Forward” at the Prothom Alo office in Dhaka on Saturday, he said political influence in the administration persists even after the 2024 uprising.

He noted that corruption and influence from recruitment and promotion to case, arrest, and bail trading continue unchecked. “If intelligence units and other security agencies are not overhauled, no reform will materialise,” he said.

Dr Iftekharuzzaman also commented on the government’s plan to introduce new police uniforms, arguing that improving housing and working conditions for officers should come first.

Citing overcrowded barracks in Mirpur, where one bathroom serves 200 officers, he asked whether uniforms should be prioritised over basic living standards.

He also said the police “not only were used but enjoyed the power” during the former Awami League government’s tenure, adding that both structural and mindset reforms are necessary.

The event was organised by Prothom Alo and the Bangladesh Retired Police Officers Welfare Association, with participation from senior law advisers, former police chiefs, and human rights activists.