'Change draft ordn to make police people-friendly'
Speakers at a workshop yesterday urged the government to either drop or change a few 'not pro-people' sections of the recently prepared draft police ordinance.
Satkhira district police organised the district community consultation on Draft Police Ordinance 2007 on the premises of Satkhira Police Lines.
The draft ordinance aims at creating an environment to help police work independently, Khulna Range DIG Md Asaduzzaman Mia said.
A few other speakers, however, feared that some sections of the draft ordinance might pose threats to democratic rights of people.
They referred to section 138, 144 and 145.
Section 138 says that if an allegation against any police personnel is proved false then the complainant would be given three months' imprisonment or Tk 20,000 fine or both.
This would discourage people from making any complaint, they said.
Section144 of the draft exempts a police official of any type of punishments for 'performing duty on good faith' but the term 'in good faith' has not been defined.
Section 145 does not allow any legal action against any police official. This section said that the report has to be made with previous permission from a government-authorised officer. They urged the government to omit or change these sections.
They also urged the government to increase facilities including salary of police personnel to keep the law enforcers free from corruption.
Among others, former minister Dr Aftabuzzaman, Additional Deputy Commissioner MA Aziz, Civil Surgeon Dr Abu Aziz Al Monsur, Pourasava Chairman Sheikh Ashraful Haque, Satkhira District Bar Association President Shah Alam and Prof Abu Ahmed spoke at the meeting presided over by Satkhira Superintendent of Police Mirza Abdullahel Baki.
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