Rab, police at loggerheads
Senior officials of both units blamed for tarnishing image of law-enforcers
The police high-ups yesterday scolded senior officials from both police and Rapid Action Battalion for lack of coordination that caused confusion, misunderstanding and image crisis in the law-enforcement agencies.At a meeting held yesterday at the Police Headquarters, the high-ups also held responsible an unhealthy competition between police and Rab and their ego problems for the lack of coordination, sources say.
Inspector General of Police (IGP) Nur Mohammad called the meeting following confusion over arrest of some suspects in connection with the killing of Sub-inspector Goutam Roy.Additional IGP (Admin) NBK Tripura, Additional IGP Naim Ahmed, Rab Director General Hassan Mahmood Khandker and Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Commissioner AKM Shahidul Hoque, among others, took part in the two-hour-long meeting started around 11:00am.
The sources say the meeting directed both the units not to speak to the media on any issues which are under investigation.The sources add the top ranked officials believe both the units have ego problems and they remain busy with unhealthy competition for publicity of their activities.
Both Rab and police arrange security measures for the same programmes like celebrations of Pahela Baishakh, Independence Day and Victory Day without any coordination, the meeting observed.Even each of the units competes for holding press briefings to announce their success, the meeting discussed.
Replying to a query from The Daily Star after the meeting, IGP Nur Mohammad admitted a lack of coordination among the Rab and police personnel. He said, "All the units of Rab and police have been asked to work together with proper coordination from today.
"There may have been competition with any unit or person which is not bad. But we must avoid unhealthy competition," the police chief said.Replying to q query over the competition of holding separate press briefings, he said, "Both the organisations will be directed to hold joint press briefings."The IGP added he directed both Rab and police to refrain from giving statements against each other.
However, Rab DG Hassan Mahmood Khandker declined to admit lack of coordination between Rab and police saying, "It's not right there is no coordination. The meeting held today testifies to our coordination."Asked about separate security arrangement and press briefings for the same purpose, the Rab chief declined to comment.
Speaking anonymously, a senior detective who attended the meeting said, "We are professionally working for investigation and conducting operation, while most of the Rab personnel are deputed to the law-enforcement agencies for a certain period.
"They might have expertise in conducting operations but have no earlier experience in investigation," he observed.
PRESS BRIEFING
IGP Nur Mohammad yesterday said until final disposal of the SI killing case, it could not be said that Rab or police were wrong in their investigation and arrests.
At a press briefing held at the police HQ, he said, "We have taken both their findings and the investigation officer would come up with conclusion at the end of his investigation."
The IGP said as confusion has developed over arrests of Goutam murder suspects, a high-powered monitoring committee would be formed so that the investigation could not be diverted to a different direction.
http://www.thedailystar.net/story.php?nid=139786
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