Better behaviour for better policing

At a time when public trust in policing is windling, a circle of Chattogram police has taken up an initiative to find a way to improve the people-police relationship.

The Raozan-Rangunia circle of Chattogram district police's initiative is threefold -- accumulating knowledge on human and constitutional rights, practical classes, and field demonstrations of learnings. With this aim, they have set up libraries and prepared a syllabus.

Md Anwar Hossen Shamim, assistant police superintendent of Chattogram district police (Raozan-Rangunia circle), said they acknowledge the people's eroding faith in the instituion of policing, and have launched the initiative aiming to dispel the negative perception of police.

The programme was launched in Rangunia and Raozan police stations, including their traffic control units, and have been running since May.

"In the class, the police are being taught fundamental human and constitutional rights, the key principles of our state, how to deal with people in precarious situations, and how to amiolerate the relationship between police and people," the official said.

Shamim said they also set up a library for each police station and are trying to create an environment that encourages the police personnel to read more. He hopes all of this effort will come together to make the police more people-friendly.

In a recent visit to Rangunia police station, this correspondent saw its staffers taking part in mock classes on how to amicably serve people at the station. They were also taking part in evaluation tests afterwards.

Swapan Kumar, sub-inspector of Rangunia police station, told The Daily Star, "We are learning a lot of things all over again. A sense of responsibility for good policing is arising among my colleagues."

Md Arif, constable of the same police station told The Daily Star that since many of them entered police service right after their matriculation, a lack of understanding of the nuances of various laws, and human and constitutional rights prevailed.