The proposal to restrict the use of lethal weapons by the police while controlling crowds is a timely and welcome step. According to a report published in The Daily Star, a special committee in the Police Headquarters made such recommendations in its arms policy, which will be sent to the home ministry and Armed Forces Division for approval.

The recommendations include a ban on the use of revolvers and lead pellets in shotguns, replacing 7.62mm calibre pistols with 9mm ones that have a shorter range, and replacing 50 percent of long-barrel firearms with short-barrel ones to lower casualties. Many of these ammunitions were used during the July uprising, killing more than 800 and injuring over 11,000 people, according to the health ministry data. Lead pellet injuries alone took away the eyesight of more than 400 protesters. This daily's analysis of 204 fatalities showed that 95 percent of people were shot with live rounds or shotgun pellets, mostly in the head, chest, and stomach. The committee also recommended that only two officers in a 30-member platoon will carry lethal weapons for use in extreme cases and officers will be instructed to target lower body areas to reduce fatality risks.

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The necessity for substantive police reform

The police force has been increasingly militarised over the last 15 years. In fact, as this daily reported, the use of lethal weapons for crowd control began in 2012 and gradually increased with time. Police became a political tool to intimidate the opposition and squash dissent rather than a public agency that is responsible for protecting and serving the people and upholding the law. While the unnecessary use of force by police during the July uprising was unprecedented in our history, the gradual militarisation of this law enforcement agency has given it an aggressive outlook. In the past one and half decades, the force has engaged in widespread human rights violations during numerous protests and movements.

The first response of police in controlling unruly crowds should be de-escalation, followed by warning. Even the use of non-lethal weapons should be limited while lethal ones should be the very last resort—only to be used in life-threatening situations. However, we have not seen our force practise such restraints.

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The police must get back to work

While the recommendations police made are positive, a mechanism should be in place to review police actions during any crowd-controlling operations. An independent body should be formed to assess whether the use of lethal weapons by an officer or even non-lethal ones was justified—with persons responsible for unnecessary use being held to account. Since the Police Reform Commission also made similar recommendations restricting the use of lethal weapons, we hope that the de-militarisation of the police force will take place soon. In Bangladesh, no more lives should be lost or maimed at the hands of police for protesting wrongs or demanding justice.