Enforcing Shutdown: Police excesses worry people

They were seen charging truncheons on people in Tangail and Rajbari. 

Similar incidents took place in Chattogram, Dinajpur, and some areas in the capital, according to media reports.

Even those who went outside to get their daily needs and an on-duty medical officer faced the wrath of those policemen, alleged victims.

Law enforcement agencies yesterday beat up and harassed delivery men of essentials and foodstuffs in various places of the country, ignoring the fact that movement of essentials is outside purview of the 10-day closure, said leading food producers and suppliers.

The incidents were reported from Sonargaon of Narayanganj, Cumilla, Chandpur, Sylhet region, and Ashulia, raising alarm bells of food producers and truckers. They said such acts would severely hamper supply chain of the essentials and commodities and increase prices.

Asif Iqbal, deputy managing director for FMCG at Meghna Group of Industries, one of the leading importers and processors of commodities, said it may be that the local administrations were not properly aware of commerce ministry's instructions on facilitating movement of essential commodities and efforts of companies to cut scope of food shortage in the country. As a result, the unintended developments are taking place. If properly communicated, the number of such incidents will come down and things will be stable gradually, he said.

Kamruzzaman Kamal, director, marketing of PRAN-RFL Group, said sales representatives and delivery men across the country were harassed by law enforcement agencies. They were trying to sale and deliver essential food products and grocery items, he said. 

If it continues, it will create food crisis in the market during the holidays, he warned.

Legal experts and rights activists condemned such actions and termed it "unlawful and harassment of public".

Some footage of the police action went viral over the last two days. One of the incidents happened in Tangail's Bhuapur on Wednesday.

"Hey, where is your mask?" a policemen were seen asking whoever were on the road and roadside shops in Bhuapur.

Without waiting for any reply, police started beating up owners of groceries and mobile-banking service providing shops, bikers, rickshaw-pullers, auto-rickshaw drivers and people on streets. Even they forced them to squat.

But there is a guideline of the World Health Organisation (WHO) on wearing masks. It suggests that everyone need not wear masks.

"Wear a mask if you are coughing or sneezing. If you are healthy, you only need to wear a mask if you are taking care of a person with suspected 2019-nCoV infection," says the guideline.

The Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR) has also asked people to follow the WHO guideline.

Rashidul Islam, officer-in-charge of Bhuapur Police Station, told this newspaper that they initiated "some awareness programmes in the locality".

Asked whether beating up people for not wearing masks is lawful, he said they had been trying to free the streets from gatherings for the last several days. But people were not paying any heed to them, he said.

"So, we had to be tough. As part of our action, we tried to make people ashamed on streets. After this, the roads became empty…" the OC said.

In another incident, physician Suprove Ahmed was allegedly assaulted by policemen when he was returning home from his work at Pangsha Upazila Health Complex in Rajbari on Wednesday.

"I was coming back from my duty around 2:00pm on a van when the Pangsha OC intercepted my vehicle. Even though I said I am a doctor, the OC hurled abuse at me and also beat me up with sticks," said the medical officer in a Facebook post.

"At one stage, I said I am a government doctor and returning home after discharging emergency duties. The OC replied what matters that you are a doctor … ?" the medical officer said, adding that he informed the upazila health and family planning officer, the upazila nirbahi officer and the civil surgeon of the matter.

A colleague of the doctor, wishing not to be named, said they protested the incident, but the local administration and top local leaders were putting pressure on them to "solve the matter mutually".

Officer-in-Charge of Pangsha Police Station Ahsan Ullah said they were "conducting awareness programmes" in the locality to fight coronavirus.

"The doctor was travelling on a van. He was aggressive and didn't give his professional identity first," the OC said, denying the allegation of beating up the doctor.

The doctor took primary treatment from the upazila health complex. The Daily Star also got some pictures of mild injury marks on the doctor's legs.

Contacted, Supreme Court lawyer Jyotirmoy Barua termed the police action unconstitutional, unlawful, and unjustified.

"As there is no section 144 or emergency imposed, such actions by police were completely unlawful. It has no legal basis. The government requested the people to be self-quarantine; it's not an order," he clarified.

The lawyer added that anyone could condemn this illegal action by police and seek for legal help.

"People who are going outside for daily needs, or even a doctor who is returning from duty are being beaten up … Police or magistrate can't give inhumane or degrading punishment. It's unconstitutional," he said, adding that the victims have the right to file a criminal case against the police personnel concerned.

"We saw such video footage of our neighbouring country. Our police also followed the same. We are not sure if the sticks used by the police are carrying the coronavirus," the lawyer said.

Asked about the police action, Shafiqul Islam, Dhaka Metropolitan Police commissioner, yesterday said people were already in danger now, so police personnel were not supposed to do any wrong with them.

"We instructed all police personnel to perform their duties with professionalism and handle any situation calmly. If any of them is found involved in any wrongdoings, punitive action will be taken against them," said the DMP boss.

Sohel Rana, assistant inspector general of Police Headquarters, told The Daily Star yesterday that police were working hard across the country to ensure the safety of people from the coronavirus, risking their lives.

"Police are politely appealing to people to follow the government directives, and the PHQ directed all units to deal people with modesty, professionalism, and tolerance," he said.

He also appealed to all to be respectful to police.

"Most often police don't get proper cooperation while working on the ground. And not all the allegations against police are true too," said Rana, adding that if any policeman was found to be unprofessional in performing their duties, "we must take action".

On Wednesday, Inspector General of Police Mohammad Javed Patwary in a video conference from the PHQ instructed all district police superintendents, metropolitan commissioners, and range police deputy inspector generals to create awareness among people.

He also asked them to ensure social distancing and restrict people's movement.