Earlier this month, Fareez Rahman (16), son of HMB Jahidur Rahman and nephew of former Awami League MP and a business tycoon Dr. HMB Iqbal, was allegedly involved in a serious road accident crushing two rickshaws and injuring six persons, including two rickshaw pullers.
The boy was reportedly racing a SUV in a crowded Gulshan area with another friend. He was also allegedly drinking alcohol while driving. Police personnel on duty were instantly available at the scene and photographs of their presence along with the teenage driver have been published in the capital’s daily newspapers. Police, however, did not register any case although Fareez was under aged to drive a car and apparently drinking while driving.
The police administration in Gulshan has reportedly stated that no case was instituted allegedly at the instance of the Ministry of Home Affairs and a senior police official. Besides, the teenage driver was allegedly escorted out of the spot by police constables in a motorbike. Police also said that the victims of the crash were given medical aid and an agreement was reached between two parties that no case would be instituted. But this police claim was subsequently contradicted by the victims particularly Lisa Dibra and Rafiqul Islam.
The penal code of Bangladesh does not absolve the police of not registering this type of cases because it is a cognizable offense on three counts as mentioned above. However, on a public interest case instituted by Anik R Haque, Farid Uddin, Ali Basar and Jotirmoy Borua, the High Court has directed the DMP authorities to report in two weeks why they should not be ordered to take legal action against Fareez Rahman.
The general perception about police administration in Dhaka is that although the number of police officials in DMP area has increased by lips and bounds and many junior officers have been given the rank of gazetted officers, manning various police stations in the capital city and elsewhere, the quality of handling cases and the quantity of crimes galore and this happens because they always look up and around in dealing with cases before registering them. One of the blogger who was recently murdered in Dhaka, wanted police protection and to register a GD but police did not comply. The concerned police official did not have to face any difficulties with the concerned authorities.
The administration is required to rethink its strategy in dealing with crime and criminals by the police personnel who allegedly tend to maintain close ties with the high and mighty breaking the rules and deliberately neglect to perform their assigned duty. People cannot always depend or seek intervention from the superior courts in the conduct of routine jobs by the law enforcement agencies.
Source: Weekly Holiday