DMP made no arrest in two days

Police in the capital made no arrest under section 54 in the last 48 hours after the country's top court upheld a High Court verdict against arbitrary arrest on suspicion and torture of arrestees on remand.

Delivered in 2003, the HC verdict had ruled that sections 54 and 167 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) dealing with the arrest on suspicion and subsequent remand respectively were not consistent with the fundamental rights guaranteed by the constitution.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld the HC judgment with some modifications and guidelines.

According to Dhaka Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's Court sources, no one was arrested under section 54 in any of the 49 police stations of Dhaka Metropolitan Police in the last two days.

The number of such arrestees was around 300 in the last five months. It was 56, in 48 such cases, from May 1 to May 24. Figures from across the country were not available at the police headquarters.

DMP used to arrest two to four people a day under section 54, officials say.

Section 54 allows police to arrest people without a warrant or an order from a magistrate.

There are instances where innocents were arrested alongside criminals under the section. There has been allegation that unscrupulous law enforcers misusing the provision arrest people and demand money from arrestees for their release.

Earlier on Wednesday, several police officials said the SC judgment would discourage dishonest policemen from making arbitrary arrest and torturing arrestees to extract confession.