Editorial
Police barbarity
They behaved like partisan cadres
We condemn in the strongest term the barbaric manner in which four cops of Khulna sadar police station tortured two college students after picking them up from a pro-hartal procession on Sunday.
The shocking report of how one of the students was kept hanging from a ceiling fan while being beaten up mercilessly, when the other was standing blindfolded nearby left all sensible people reeling from the mindlessness of the outrage so committed the cops involved.
The highhandedness of the cops in the incident made it glaringly evident that they were acting not as policemen but rather as partisan cadres.
This is very unfortunate for a servant of the state to be partisan in the discharge of duties forgetful of the fact that she/he is paid from state coffer to protect people and not to torture them.
What we are witnessing is a reflection of the overwhelming political environment in police service. From recruiting members of the police to their promotion and posting, at each step it is the candidates' party loyalty, not merit, that matters. Add to it the pervasive corruption vitiating the entire police administration.
We do not want to say that it is the incumbent government that is solely responsible for such demoralisation of police. In fact, such a state of affairs in the police department has been taking place during successive governments.
Each political party that took power tried to use the state agencies like police to serve their narrow political end. The cumulative sins of all those ruling parties have thus left the police completely politicised. The present state of affairs is totally unacceptable.
In the Khulna case of police barbarity, we demand more than just closure of the responsible policemen. They must also be brought to justice for their offence.
We are aware that what we are saying may fall on deaf years. Even so, we will continue to say it at the top of our voice.
The dilly-dallying on police reform is surely perpetuating the unprofessional attitude of the police.
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