By: Tarek Mahmud
Six out of 12 stations of Chittagong Metropolitan Police (CMP) have long been in poor condition, due to which service there has lost much of its quality.
Halishahar, Bayezid, Karnaphuli, Bakalia, Khulshi and Pahartali police stations have various problems like inadequate workspace, lack of accommodation for policemen, and water and transportation crisis.
Halishahar, Bakalia, and Karnaphuli stations have no building of their own. Halishahar Police Station operates from a two-storey rented building that costs
Tk 36,000 a month while Bakalia Police Station pays Tk 20,000 per month for their rented facility.
The situation of Karnaphuli Police Station is the worst. It is housed in a ramshackle building, which was actually borrowed from the union parishad authorities at the time of its inception.
Established in 2000, Bayezid and Khulshi stations are still not up to the mark as far as a police station is concerned. They operate from two small houses which can be in no way considered as police stations.
Pahartali Police Station is working from the station barrack as its own building is under construction.
In each of these stations, more than 20 police officials work in a small room.
“We have one table for four officers here,” said Sub-inspector Anwar Hossain of Pahartali Police Station, adding that people often got puzzled seeking service there as there was always noise and crowd around the table.
In all the police stations, policemen use a portion of the building for living, since there is no barrack. More than 30 policemen live in a room of each police station.
According to sources, officials of not only the six police stations but of the other CMP stations are also suffering from acute accommodation problem.
On top of that, the canteens are unhygienic, alleged officials of the police stations.
“The problems have become part of our life and we are left to adjust with it,” an official of Bayezid Police Station told The Daily Star.
The older police stations like Kotwali, Double-Mooring, Panchlaish, and Chandgaon are relatively in better condition, the sources added.
“We have only two pick-up vans for duty, but both of them are too old to use,” said Sub-inspector Kamruzzaman of Bayezid Police Station.
Officer-in-Charge of Khulshi Police Station Mafiz Uddin said, “My duty vehicle is so old that it breaks down just after a run every day. In rainy season, rain drips from its roof.”
Shortage of drinking water is also a big problem in these six CMP stations.
“We collect water from distant places using our duty van as there is no source of water nearby,” said Assistant Sub-inspector Monirul Islam of Karnaphuli Police Station.
The condition of police outposts under the six stations is even more pathetic. Lack of water supply and toilet facility has made the work environment horribly challenging there.
Officers-in-charge of these police stations said they had informed the higher authorities of the problems who assured them of solving those.
Shafiqul Islam, commissioner of CMP, said, “We are trying to mitigate the problems as early as possible. We have already talked with Chittagong Development Authority about allocation of land for the police stations and they have formed a committee. Once the allotment is done, we will be able to solve the space and accommodation problems.”
On transportation problem, he said they had purchased some pick-up vans but due to the creation of high posts in CMP the vehicles were allotted to the high officials.
“We are working amid many limitations due to lack of resources. This is compelling us to carry on with the situation even after having the desire to improve the police stations,” he said.
Source: The Daily Star
