Despite increase in the numbers of police personnel and setting up of police stations at different strategic points in the capital, the city-dwellers are allegedly being deprived of getting proper services from police forces.
Several initiatives for bringing a qualitative change in attitudes, norms, behaviour and values of police personnel have been taken by the government in recent time but a section of policemen could not come out from their traditional norms and as result many victims nowadays are unwilling to go to the police station for lodging any cases or complainants against suspects.
To curb all sorts of criminal activities as per the directives of home ministry, police is holding a series of training programmes with the participation of police and the officials of intelligence agencies but the steps are being foiled due to absence of honesty, responsibility and accountability among the forces. Especially the incident of extortion is taking place frequently in the capital and at least three people were killed and 15 were critically injured centering such incidents last month.
"It is alleged that many police official in the capital are directly or indirectly involved in extortion related incidents. Extortionists in collaboration with police officials compel businessmen to pay monthly toll which is well-known to all. For taking these advantages, officials of this department take transfer major cities through exchanging lakhs of money from different parts of the country. And thus, extortion from this city will never be rooted out until massive reformation take
place in the department," high official of intelligence agency said seeking anonymity.
While talking to The Ban-gladesh Today yesterday a transport supervisor of bus no-4 on Dhaka Cantonment-Motijheel route said around 36 passenger buses on this rout ply providing around Tk eight lakh every month. "We have to pay Tk seven hundred for each bus at three points on the route daily as traffic and police officials' expenditure which is known to all."
Similarly, toll collection incidents are going on at around 33 different bus routes in the capital in full swing. Killers, muggers, snatchers, hijackers and robbers are being arrested but the members of organised extortionist gang remain untouched, the source said.
Criminals along with their respective godfathers are committing several sorts of crimes and a section of dishonest police officers are maintaining good relations with them money. Especially transport and market owners are the worst victims of extortionists in the capital, the sources also said.
Meanwhile, all criminals patronised by around 300 gang leaders in the capital are active and they are committing criminal activities changing their technique. According to sources around 298 persons were killed in gun attack in the capital in the last four months. Several people were injured during these incidents at the same time.
While talking to this correspondent, high official of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police said "as part of especial drive, huge contingent of law enforcers are conducting drives at eight crime zones in the capital against all sorts of crimes and arresting criminals to ensure overall security of the city dwellers."