Opposition MPs come down hard on EC, police

Opposition lawmakers in Parliament Monday harshly criticised the law enforcement agencies for their engagement in various irregularities and offenses.

They made the criticism while placing their cut motions over additional allocation of Tk 178 crore against the Public Security Division of the Home Ministry in the supplementary budget for 2021-22 fiscal.

BNP lawmaker Harunur Rashid said there are allegations against police regarding extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances and human rights violations. “These allegations are not untrue,” he said.

He said the institution that is named the Election Commission should be abolished. “Hand it over to the police. What is its necessity? There is no need for the Election Commission until Vision 2041 (remains unimplemented).”

Jatiya Party MP Shameem Haider Patwary said today it is essential to make police liable. If they had been made liable internally, the sanction would not come on them from outside the country, he said.

“We need to have a special commission for police today and formation of an all-party special committee on human rights in this parliament in this regard,” he said.

The special committee would investigate any allegation made by the people and submit reports and make the proper persons liable, said the JP lawmaker.

 “A culture of no-liability and a culture of impunity have started prevailing in the country,” said Shameem.

BNP MP Rumeen Farhana said the people are still being harassed by police. “Police is no longer a force of the state rather it has turned into a complete political force …. Torture in police custody has become a regular matter,” she said.

Ganoforum lawmaker Mukabbir Khan said the trend of engagement of police members --from constable to high officers- in criminal activities has increased as those who commit offenses are not brought to justice properly and they are not getting proper punishment.

“The whole police department comes under question due to their offenses. The matters should be taken care of,” he said.

In reply to their criticism, Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Haque on behalf of the Home Minister said the police are performing their duties very efficiently under the present government.

He said many police officers lose their jobs due to irregularities and many ones have faced trial and been punished for their excesses.

JP MP Rowshan Ara Mannan, BNP MP Md. Mosharof Hosen and Independent MP Rezaul Karim Bablu also placed their cut motions against the additional allocation for the Public Security Division, reports UNB.