Police and magistracy
It has been reported in an English daily that police wants magistracy power in the metropolitan areas. The concept is against the principle of separation of judiciary from the executive. We think the provision will break the fundamental principles of justice that policing and magistracy should not be vested in one authority. Bangladesh throughout its 38 years of journey has passed and practiced undemocratic norms of legal and policing functions. We can see the emergence of district police officer as equal to district magistrate, an issue which never came up for compromise in the past. The police department has already earned the privilege to be equal to the executives. Now they are asking to share the judicial powers as magistrate. The question is how one looks at it. The dictators, and undemocratic governments will always look for support from the law enforcing agencies and would always agree to enhance their power and privileges violating the fundamental principles of justice. I do not know what provision exists on this issue in a democratic country like India. Nevertheless, I think the principle should get precedence over individual needs. The issue needs to be reviewed at all levels of the government.
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