Crime and violence in Dhaka city

Dhaka city today faces a tremendous escalation of urban violence and Crime. High growth of population, poverty, inequality and weak governance structures are the reasons mentioned by all as root causes for this deterioration of law and order.

An ADB sponsored study was undertaken from August 2005 to February 2006 to assess the type and trend of crime and violence occurring, reasons for it, and persons responsible. The study examined present mechanism of control and has made recommendations on measures for improvement of the present enforcement systems.

Analysis and conclusion of the study is based on primary and secondary surveys, including observation of 16 outdoor places like parks, monuments, markets, hospitals, and transport centers around the city. Six hundred interviews of individuals at the household level and street level were conducted. Focus group meetings with various groups of city dwellers as representatives, city management authorities, CBOs and NGOs were conducted. In presentation of the study references from reports, bulletins and quoting newspaper reports have been done as secondary sources of information.

Peoples Experience of Crime and Violence In The City
At the household level, 300 individuals, covering wide range of income groups from all parts of the city were interviewed. Social security is the number one problem being faced by the people and more than fifty percent rated condition of the city "not safe" for living. Fear of hijacking, political terrorism and extortion, threat, theft and robbery, movement of drug addicts, lack of street lights etc. were the reasons mentioned. Regarding security conditions those who do not feel safe even at daytime mentioned hijacking and eve teasing as reasons. Among the interviewees more than 60 percent mentioned experience of facing crime incidents and these were mainly hijacking and theft.

Another 300 interviews of those who move in the city as drivers of auto-rickshaw, workers/laborers, traders, service holders and students were conducted out of home in public spaces. 58 percent mentioned that they did not feel safe moving around in the city and consider isolated hours (early morning hours and nighttime) as not safe in the city.

Hijacking was quoted by all groups as the most commonly occurring crime followed by those such as burglary, theft of vehicles, theft and threats of extortion. Other than hijacking of personal belongings, i.e., cell phone, money bags, jewelry etc., each person quoted that occurrence of problems affecting their livelihood for example a rickshaw puller or CNG driver often lose their vehicle or parts to hijackers or thieves, traders remain in fear of extortion or abduction even a rural trader trying selling vegetables, livestock by trips to Dhaka lose their earnings to extortionists.

All women interviewed irrespective of background mentioned their insecurity in movement in the city, particularly at night and alone. Harassment of young girls by eve teasers also has been mentioned as a major problem faced by women in the city. The study conducted an observation of public places in the city such as parks, open spaces and monuments, major markets and their surroundings, public hospitals of different types, transport terminals of four categories (bus, rail, launch and airport). Interview of some common users were made in those areas to learn about crime and violent happenings. Observation in all these areas show that other than normal visitors or users a large number of young boys, vagabonds, beggars are reported to be seen particularly during isolated periods of the day.

Drug peddling and drug use, sex workers movements were reported from observation in almost all such areas. None of the open public places are mentioned as safe places by the interviewees specially for single visitors or in lonely hours of the day and after dark.

Hijacking, mugging by showing arms such as revolvers, pistols, knives, blades etc., harassment to young couples, even rape in some areas were reported. In public markets and terminals which encompass open and covered areas movement of large number of people not as users but as perpetrators was reported.

In these areas, use of drugs, theft, shoplifting, picking pockets and hustling by brokers or middlemen are reported. Experience of observation by the survey team and response from the interviewees all point to perpetrators mostly as young and unemployed youths, drug addicts, brokers, vendors, also beggars and vagabonds.

Findings from the observation and survey on security status of public spaces reveal that privately organized security guards without any arms are the main providers of security but their numbers are very few compared to the need. The role of police as law enforcing agency is mentioned in the interviews as difficult to reach and not very supportive to victims.

In all discussions, police have been blamed for causing crime and violence in the city either by "not enforcing their powe" or as "partakers in incidents." Negligence in discharging duties, corruption, lack of good governance, criminalisation of politics, vested interest, etc. were some of the common blames against the government and police force.

Some very typical crimes and violence that disrupts public life in the city are hartals which result from political conflicts among the ruling party and opposition and have tremendous destructive effects as violence on public life and property. Political violence also effects students particularly those living on campus and disrupts life of daily laborers and transport workers. Mob violence in Dhaka city is an occurrence that cause immense damage to public and private property and misery to many.

The frequency of such violent occurrences are increasing at an alarming rate.

Causes of Crime and Violence
The city has strong rural links, with people pouring into the city during the last five decades in search of employment, education, business, shelter etc. According to a study in the eighties, about 80 percent household heads were migrants. As a result the urban ethos in terms of civic sense, respect for order, culture and sophistication, which should have been strong in an old city like Dhaka is generally lacking. It was also observed from the study that majority of the victims of crime and violence did not receive help from any pedestrians or people of the locality who could provide support or assistance.

However, analysis of the surveys and discussions with focus groups, reference from media and publications derived the following reasons:

• Financial gain by the jobless, drug addicts, and misguided youths are reasons for most common crimes i.e. hijacking, theft, extortion, snatching of personal items i.e. mobile phones, jewellery, bags in the public spaces.
• High density of population, large percent of poor in the city, depressed mental condition from poverty, unemployment, use of drugs etc among the poor results in criminal offences and violence.
• Women are vulnerable due to their physical and social positions. They are very susceptible and become easy victims of harassment, hijacking and physical abuse.
• Increasing political difference among political groups affecting government, legal and judiciary agencies escalates crime and violence.
• Lack of governance and control over corruption and poverty on one side and lack of awareness of people to resist crime and violence complements continuous escalation of urban violence.
• Change in social and cultural values, high cost of living, inequality, easy availability of arms and instruments of crime i.e. pistols, guns, knives, acids, bombs etc. are reasons which contribute to the deteriorating city conditions.
• Majority of people blame the police force for lack of trained manpower and sincerity.
• Police mentioned major cause of crime and violence in the city as an economic need driven factor where 75 percent of crimes are committed due to reasons of poverty and unemployment. Out of the remaining it was mentioned that 15 percent are due to criminals trying to make easy money and ten percent as results of unstable mental conditions of some persons i.e., drug addicts, misguided youths, romantic affairs etc.

Analysis of Present Mechanism of Control
There are numerous laws in the country, developed and introduced since the British rule to take care of crime and violent occurrences. New laws also have been enacted, yet misuse of power are blames that successive government receive in being unable to reduce insecurity in public life nation wide. The Dhaka Metropolitan Police force has limited manpower and resources to provide proper enforcement for the ever-growing population. The police forces are overburdened with work; they lack manpower, adequate training and logistics support. At present Dhaka Metropolitan Police has 1 police staff for every four hundred city residents in 28 police stations. That is to say strength of police personnel stands at 21,571 for a total of 8.6 million population.

The researcher in her conversation with high officials and on visits to police stations found that they have clear assessment of the reasons and stated impact of poverty causing crime and violence and a frank declaration of their shortcomings as law enforcers.

On the contrary, a total of 132 offences by the police have been reported from January to August of 2005 in the metropolis alone and last year 123 such cases had been registered during the same period, according to DMP sources.

Crimes by the law enforcers include robbery, extortion, mugging, drug peddling, rape and violence against women. These charges are mostly against low ranking police employees like, constables, ASIs (Assistant Sub-Inspector) and SIs (Sub-Inspector).

Former IGPs Dr. Enamul Hauqe, Nurul Huda, and Ashraful Huda expressed their concerns to an English daily in a way that "from their experience, they think that rampant political influence in recruitment of police has spoiled the department." It was also evident from the opinion of the respondents of the study on their disinterest in filling complaint to the police that they think police itself involved in crime or criminals maintain friendship with police or police do not work properly.

Conclusion and Recommendation
There is an urgent need to plan strategies for crime and violence reduction in the city. The strategy to resolve the issue will try to devise ways and means to reduce rate of crime and violence and then to conduct mass awareness to combat and reduce crime and violence at all levels of city life. Urban crime and violence reduction must be designed as built-in programs for poverty alleviation and urban development.

The researchers also strongly feel that there is a need for creation of an organization which will work solely for dealing with crime and violence in Dhaka city and as an integral part of the city governance structure. The study proposes creation of an anti urban violence commission or committee to deal with the issue as a nation and citywide program.

Some recommendations are put forward for a sustainable social approach to deal with the issue of crime and violence and its proliferation in city life. Government and donors must give due attention to poverty alleviation programmes, urban socio economic development and urban planning. A list of measures to address these needs are:

• Create a platform or a common ground from where people or their representatives, lawmakers and the police (as law enforcers), politicians whether in power or opposition, NGOs and CBOs come together to deal with the problem.
• Media to be directed to take a more proactive role. They only do reporting which is important but should contribute to motivational programmes for those who commit crimes and also for victims. Raising broad urban based popular support on the issue should be their mission.
• Education institutions at all levels must include crime and violence topics as a subject to make students aware and contribute in their capacity by growing up as law-abiding citizens.
• To create environment for speedy justice at courts to ensure public trust through timely judgment.
• Violence at campuses under the banner of student wings of ruling or opposite parties must be stopped. Politicians in this regard should reach a consensus so that education institutions and their students are free from party politics.
• Poverty alleviation strategies in urban development programmes to include crime and violence prevention strategies. Particular emphasis on gender issues and protection of children to be included.
• Urban design and infrastructure upgrading should incorporate crime and violence protection measures.
• Need to assess loss incurred due to crime and violent occurrences periodically and make the information public to all.