Mobile courts not working neutrally
Say senior police officials
Senior police officials yesterday observed that the mobile courts are not operating impartially as the courts punish only the poor sparing the powerful and rich.
“The mobile courts only punish those who are poor, weak and marginalised. The mobile courts also cause harassment to the above mentioned people,†a superintendent of police (SP) told an internal meeting on law and order situation with the home minister at Rajarbagh Police Lines.
“There is no instance of punishing any powerful person, muscleman, corrupt or veteran criminal,†he said. The SP, who is deputed in Dhaka range, urged the home minister to ensure impartiality of the courts. The meeting was held on the occasion of the three-day Police Week 2013.
At the event, IGP Hassan Mahmood Khandker demanded formation of a separate division named “Police Division†.
The IGP, however, thanked the government for, what he said, the present government fulfilled many demands of the police department, including upgradation of the rank of the IGP, and declaring police inspectors as class one officer.
Dhaka Metropolitan Police Commissioner Benazir Ahmed, Deputy Inspector Generals (DIG) Anwar Hossain, Iqbal Bahar, Madaripur SP Nazrul Hossain and Chittagong SP Hafiz Akhter also spoke at the meeting.
After the closed-door meeting, Home Minister MK Alamgir and top police officials met the press.
The minister told reporters, “The mobile courts have been formed for peace of the general people through instant punishment for various crimes. The district magistrates will be directed so that the mobile courts do not operate widely and the power of the mobile courts is not abused.â€
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