By Habibul Islam
It definitely looks like law enforcement in Bangladesh is going through a phase that maybe described as mid-life crisis. That’s the time when people—especially men, we’re told, but lots of women too though theirs are somewhat different—say, do, think, whatever, bizarre stuff.
According to one expert (needless to elaborate, there are innumerable of them around the world) there are 14 signs of this often-hyped crisis, and here they are:
1.Buying a Sports Car. 2. Drastic Changes in Habits, Mood Swings, and Impulsive Decision-Making. 3. Shifts in Sleeping Habits.4. Obsession with Appearances. 5. Disconnecting from Old Friends, and Replacing Them with Younger Friends. 6. Feeling Tied Down, with No Chance for Change. 7. Thoughts of Death or Dying. 8. Changing Careers. 9. Leaving a Spouse or Having an Affair. 10. Bouts of Depression. 11. Increased Consumption of Alcohol or Drugs. 12. Listless and Bored.13. Assigning Blame. 14. Recent Traumas.
While an ordinary mortal’s crisis may not coincide or even seem similar to those of the law enforcement entities, the critical point to note is the strangeness of the desires or wishes. As a footnote it can be added that at least a few of the signs appear creepily close to those experienced by those who maybe described as leading a “civilian life” of a mere citizen.
Anyhow, as it may be. Not too long back some from law enforcement expressed the plea—and that too right to the prime minister of the country—that they should be relieved from all strictures related to torturing/tormenting persons arrested by them and in their control. We shall leave the prime minister’s reaction to speak for itself since no clarification is required.
The latest demand of the law enforcing leadership relates to becoming a Facebooker. (Just a point of personal disclosure: This commenter has never been registered with the aforementioned Facebook and most certainly has no intention whatsoever to do so anytime in the future. One particular reason: With so much prying into an individual’s life, why bother?) Simply stated this is what law officials desire: Intending Bangladeshis should disclose their National Identification while signing up with Facebook.
It has been noted in various forums and publications that this country’s law enforcement mechanism and general guidelines, apart from upgraded training, need urgent reconsideration—even if the top brass could be feeling that since they’re functioning to help, assist and abet the political power, nothing else but only preserving the powers that be in a pleasant frame of mind matters; and apparently there’s ample evidence to bolster that conclusion.
More than clearly as events have shown, law enforcement units seem to be in need of being sensitized to the realities of the world—and that holds true for numerous other such organizations in numerous other countries too—including a modicum about the rights of citizens and the duties of law enforcement toward them, the state of the world since the time the Brits left these shores, and that professionalism will serve a lifetime but not pseudo-political pronouncements.
These, among other necessary measures, may ultimately succeed in instilling in the relevant persons that asking for a total and comprehensive control of people’s life would appear to make things easier for the law enforcers (au contraire, if no acquiescence comes then it’ll provide them with materials to explain away any inadequacy) but it could very well lead to a contrary impact; and it certainly would not go down well with the citizens whom, it perhaps might be added, the law is supposed to protect, serve and defend.
ENDS
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