'Outdated' police laws, regulations will be revamped
The Police Reform Commission will primarily focus on the amendment to the 150-year-old police laws and regulations to turn the force into pro-people and service-oriented force.
The Commission Chairman Safar Raj Hossain disclosed the updates after holding a meeting with the commission's members at the Secretariat today.
He said that the force has been operating with a 150-year-old law, specifically The Police Act of 1861 and the Police Regulations of Bengal, 1943.
"These laws are outdated. No major changes have been made to them," he said while addressing reporters after the meeting.
He said they would incorporate best practices from police reform proposals being implemented in various democratic countries.
The chairman further said that the commission intends to gather opinions from stakeholders, including civil society members, experts, media personalities [print and electronic media], university students and teachers, and general citizens to formulate a set of suggestions for reforming the police.
"We have a limited timeframe of completing the work within three months. We have a plan to make a website with questions in which the stakeholders will be able to give their suggestions," he said.
"We have to build a good police force for a democratic country, and its main task will be to serve the masses," he added.
During the briefing, Adviser to the Home Affairs Lt Gen (retd) Jahangir Alam Chowdhury said they would extend all possible support to the reform commission to fulfill the task.
The Police Reform Commission was constituted on October 3 and has been given 90 days to complete its tasks.
The other members of the committee include Additional Home Secretary (Public Security Division) Abu Momtaj Sad Uddin Ahmed, former director general of the Department of Narcotics Control (DNC) Mohammad Iqbal, former divisional commissioner Mohammad Harun Chowdhury, former additional inspector generals of Police Sheikh Sajjad Ali, former deputy inspector general of police Md Golam Rasul, Dhaka University Law Professor Shahnaz Huda, human rights activist ASM Nasiruddin Alan, and a student representative.
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