Most evil practices in Bangladesh began under AL rule: Asif Nazrul

Bangla Press Desk: Law Adviser Asif Nazrul has said that many of Bangladesh’s “worst and most unjust practices” first began during the rule of the Awami League in the early 1970s.

Speaking at a roundtable discussion titled “Police Reform in Bangladesh: Challenges and the Way Forward” held in the capital’s Karwan Bazar on Saturday, Nazrul said, “Almost all evil and corrupt practices in Bangladesh — from abductions and extrajudicial killings to custodial torture, deaths in custody, rigged elections, and political favouritism — were first initiated during the Awami League government of 1973. Others only continued what the Awami League began.”

Nazrul also criticised the entrenched culture of political loyalty, saying, “The ‘my people, your people’ mentality has spread deeply into our politics. BNP, Jamaat, and even emerging parties like the NCP must come out of this toxic culture.”

He added that this mindset is not limited to politics alone but also extends to civil society, citing the lack of public protest when journalist Abul Asad, editor of The Daily Sangram, was arrested during an Awami League government.

The adviser accused former prime minister Sheikh Hasina of transforming the police into “a brutal, oppressive, and monstrous force.”

He said, “Police brutality was often carried out to serve the ruling party’s interests. Some officers did it to please political masters, while others did it out of habit — to gain power or make money. In many cases, they exceeded the government’s orders.”

Nazrul mentioned former inspector general of police Benazir Ahmed as an example of this tendency. He also identified institutional weaknesses and the lack of forensic capacity as contributing factors to custodial torture, saying that “Torture is sometimes used as a means to extract confessions — a deeply rooted part of our policing culture.”

Highlighting the interim government’s efforts to reform the police, Nazrul said that new legal measures had been taken — including amendments to the Code of Criminal Procedure, requiring that family members be informed within 12 hours of a person’s detention.

He added that under the amended law on enforced disappearances, the authorities must disclose a detainee’s whereabouts within 24 hours, or the case would be treated as an abduction.

Responding to criticism that the newly formed Police Reform Commission lacks sufficient authority, Nazrul said, “Having power does not automatically guarantee a commitment to human rights. What we need most is a cultural transformation within the force.”

He concluded by stressing the need to eliminate ceremonial practices that reinforce hierarchy and compliance over accountability. “There are people whose main job is to give guards of honour — and they take pride in it. This mindset must change if we are to build a humane, rights-respecting police force,” he said.

BP/SP