Police Reform Commission for disregarding relatives' political identity in govt job verifications

The Police Reform Commission is set to recommend disregarding the political identity of a candidate's family and relatives during police verification for government job recruitment.

"The home ministry has also agreed with this recommendation," Safar Raj Hossain, head of the commission, said today following a meeting with Home Adviser Lt Gen (retd) Jahangir Alam Chowdhury.

He said police verification is mandatory for government, semi-government, or bank jobs. This verification process, which has been in place since 1928 under the British legal manual, has continued for nearly 96 years.

The questions and enquiries involved often result in many job-seekers being excluded, added Safar Raj, also a former home secretary.

He said another common practice is checking whether any relatives are involved in politics or if anyone is perceived as being against the state, a concept rooted in British-era policies.

"Recently, there have been complaints that individuals were denied jobs because their relatives were involved in politics but not with the ruling party," he said.

"It has been observed that candidates are deprived of jobs because an aunt, uncle, or other relative is involved in politics, even if the immediate family members are not. We recommend that this practice be discontinued."

In light of this, the home ministry and the commission have agreed not to consider political identity during police verification, he said.

The commission head emphasised that every job, from a bank guard to a clerk, holds importance.

He pointed out that in some cases, individuals might enter jobs by altering their name or identity, only to later be discovered as involved in criminal activities.

"Therefore, verification is essential. However, I have recommended that police verification should not cause unnecessary hardship. While police verification will remain in place, the political identity of relatives will no longer be a factor," he added.

Safar Raj said under Section 54 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, the police have the authority to arrest individuals without a warrant. Similarly, Section 167 allows the police to take individuals on remand.

"We are not the authority to make decisions in these two matters. Even the home ministry does not have that jurisdiction. These laws fall under the purview of the law ministry. For this reason, we have included a joint secretary from the law ministry in the commission," he added.

He said, upon review, it was found that cases related to these issues have been ongoing in the High Court and Supreme Court for a long time.

Dr Kamal Hossain filed a writ petition on behalf of the Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust (BLAST) regarding these matters. In its ruling, the High Court advised all parties concerned to exercise caution in enforcing this law and issued several guidelines.

Subsequently, the government appealed to the Appellate Division, which upheld the High Court's directives, stating that the instructions had already been issued. This means that the police and other government agencies must adhere to specific rules and regulations when enforcing the law. 

"One such guideline is that if someone is arrested, their family members must be informed. This is a judgement of the High Court, and as you know, a High Court judgement becomes part of the law," he added.

Regarding the issue of stopping police corruption, he stated that corruption is the primary enemy. When corruption in a department decreases, its efficiency increases, and people's obedience to the law improves.

"The country's biggest problem is corruption," he added. He also mentioned that the salary structure of the police was discussed, with further discussions to follow.

Safar Raj emphasised that all government departments, including the police, should be kept free from politics. It has been observed that many members of the police and other departments became affiliated with political parties over the last 15 years.

"Many have engaged in corruption and attempted to secure promotions. Recommendations are currently underway to address this issue," he added.

He also said no recommendation has yet been made regarding arrests in plain clothes, but an instruction will be included on this matter.

Safar Raj said the commission's report will include many recommendations regarding the police. Some of these can be implemented in a short period of time, while others will take longer to implement.

Some recommendations will require funding, and in certain cases, laws and regulations may need to be amended. The extent to which these recommendations will be implemented is ultimately up to the government, he added.

The commission began its work on 6 October, and its report is due to be submitted by 31 December.