Microsoft Word - Police ethics (2) Bangladesh Journal of Bioethics 2020; 11 (1): 9-23 10 Policing Ethics: Context Bangladesh Md.Sharifur Rahman Adil Lecturer of Philsophy, Feni South East Degree College. Bangladesh Email: adil.doc.info@gmail.com DOI: https://doi.org/10.3329/bioethics.v11i1.49192 Abstract: The police are one of the most powerful and important forces for any country. The main task of the police is to install a sense of security in the ordinary citizens and to protect their life and property when they are in danger. Bangladeshi Police have a glorious past with tremendous achievement. Especially in our great liberation war in 1971, they played an important role in achieving our liberation. Eliminating terrorism & militancy and others several operation that leads with the risk of their life. But there are still a lot of accusations against the police force. Like- abusing of power, misconducting with the people, committing crossfire defying the high-court order, wearing white dress when they move to detain criminals, arresting without warrant, and many other including bribery, extortion, trading drug and yaba, playing partisan role, keeping bad association, filing case against deceased man, charging sheet against the infant who has not been born yet, enforcing disappearance, suppressing the freedom of express, violating human rights, doing anti-social activities such as rape, forcible extortion, drinking alcohol, etc. are the real scenario of Bangladesh Police. Policing ethics or related unethical behaviors, in particular, are shaped by both societal perceptions and organizational socialization of the police personnel on how authority should be exercised, as well as the latter's relationship with the socio-political and economic structures overtime. This paper proposes to explain the role of police as the main law enforcement agency in any democratic country. An attempt has been made to bring different perspectives of ethics which comprises views of Aristotle, Machiavelli, Immanuel Kant, J S Mill and John Rawls. The paper focuses on police ethics. Police ethics’ reflects the society and the regulations that shape the policing system. This paper also discuss the results and analysis of the consequences of moral degradation caused by the police. This article explore the police brutality because of the lack of ethics and highlight the public's attitude towards police as well. The ethical standards and the code of conduct of Police practitioners should actually abide by is an ongoing debate. Key Word: Ethics, Applied ethics, Police, Policing Ethics Introduction: The police are one of the most omnipresent organizations of the country. The police are expected to be the most accessible, interactive and dynamic organization of any society. Their roles, functions and duties in the society are natural to be varied and multifarious on the one ihand; and complicated, knotty and complex on the other hand. Broadly speaking the twin roles, the police are expected to play in a society are maintenance of law and order. To establish a conflict free society, in any type of governance, the law enforcing agencies, especially the institution of Police play a vital role in the implementation of the law and order dicta as envisioned either by the Constitution, Executive, Legislature or Judiciary. Once, the slogan of the police was – `Service is the religion of Police’. But now the police slogan is - `People are police, police are people ‘.The duty of the police is Bangladesh Journal of Bioethics 2020; 11 (1): 9-23 11 to install a sense of security in the ordinary citizens, and to protect the life and property of the citizens when they are in danger. If the police fail to perform this duty, they are held accountable as per the law of the country. But the scenario of Bangladeshi Police is totally different. Now we often hear about police involving various unethical, Illegal, unsocial, muscle power, abuse of power and immoral activities in order to provide the security1. Ethics can play a vital role to prevent such unethical and immoral activities of police. It’s time to shout for policing ethics. Because we know that – every man is equal in the eye of law and no one can remain above law. So, the police are no exception. As a main law enforcement agency police should be morally sound. Methodology: The methodology adopted for the study is doctrinal and non doctrinal. The Doctrinal research which is based on primary and secondary sources, like books, journals, magazines, Newspapers, articles and websites. Non doctrinal research includes the data collection through the questionnaire, interview question, and observation method. Applied Ethics: Police ethics is a branch of applied ethics. The most well-known branches of applied ethics are medical and business ethics. Applied ethics is the field that holds ethical theory accountable to practice and professional practice accountable to theory. Therefore, the philosophers should not dictate to professionals the norms that are supposed to govern their professional practice, without a very thorough knowledge of that practice. On the other hand, the professionals have to under-stand that their experience and intuition are insufficient for defensible judgment, and that all their constraints do not exempt their decisions from ethical scrutiny2. Ethics: Policing ethics consist of two separate words Policing and ethics. First I will discuss ethics and then I will discuss the Police. However, Ethics is a branch of Philosophy. Ethics involves systematizing, defending, and recommending concepts of right and wrong conduct3. Ethics derives from the Ancient Greek word ἠθικός ethikos, which is derived from the word ἦθος ethos (habit, “custom”) The Ancient Greek adjective êthikos is itself derived from another Greek word, the noun êthos meaning “character, disposition4. As a branch of philosophy, ethics investigates the questions “What is the best way for people to live?" and “What actions are right or wrong in particular circumstances?" In practice, ethics seeks to resolve questions of human morality, by defining concepts such as good and evil, right and wrong, virtue and vice, justice and crime. Bioethicist Larry Churchill has written: “Ethics, understood as the capacity to think critically about moral values and direct our actions in terms of such values, is a generic human capacity”5. “Joe has strange ethics.” The English word ethics is derived from an Ancient Greek word êthikos, which means “relating to one’s character”. The Ancient Greek adjective êthikos is itself derived from another Greek word, the noun êthos meaning “character, disposition”. Finally, we can say Ethics" is a system or code of conduct based on universal moral duties and obligations that indicate how one should behave. Lillie an author said about nature of ethics-“We may define ethics as a normative science of the conduct of human beings living in societies- a science which judges this conduct to be right or wrong, to be good or bad, or in same similar way”6. Bangladesh Journal of Bioethics 2020; 11 (1): 9-23 12 Police: The police are those who are the members of a government organization which is responsible for enforcing law and maintaining peace and order, prevention and detection of crime. The Police are one of the major components of the criminal justice system. Police officers are well aware of rules and regulations. However, some officers do not pay respect to all the rules and regulations, with some being ignored while some are strictly adhered too. Some rules are treated as advisory, whilst others are treated as binding. Policing Ethics: A pragmatic exploration of police ethics is necessary to effectively inculcate the values in the decision making processes of police officers. This does not mean that philosophical issues should be ignored but that they are placed in a utilitarian perspective7. According to Schmalleger, Police ethics is the special responsibility for adhering to moral duty and obligation that is inherent in police work8. In the 1700s Immanuel Kant, a German philosopher developed the idea of the categorical imperative. Here ‘categorical ’means unconditional. According to him, one should develop such principles that will hold good both for himself and society at large. Kant’s ideas have been used in the development of Policing ethics. Police maintain the law and order and protect the life and property of the citizens know can be regarded as universal principles J.S. Mill, an English philosopher of the 1800s called it “Greatest Happiness Principle, ethical behavior according to him is that which is useful to the society at large. For utilitarianism, Aristotle’s golden mean and Machiavelli’s end justifies means stands right only if those principles promote the greatest good of the greatest number of people. The utilitarian principle holds good in the light of happiness and bad in course of its reverse. Rawl’s, a modern American philosopher opines that everybody must be treated equally without any regard for economic and social status. He needs to treat the rich the same way as the poor, the famous person the same way as the layman on the street. These philosophical considerations would help us to understand the concept of ‘Policing ethics.’ Duty of Police: Every organization must have specific purposes, commitments, aims, and goals. These are included in the mission statement of the organization. The mission of the police is as follows: 1. Prevention and detection of crime 2. Protection of life and property of the citizens through enforcement of law 3. Preservation of peace, order, and safety 4. Enforcement of laws and ordinances 5. Safeguarding of constitutional guarantees 6. Investigating problems and incidents 7. Enhancement of the quality of life of the citizens by fostering a sense of security in communities and individuals The mission of the police cannot be achieved without the involvement of the community in the policy agenda. Community policing ensures the involvement of the community and promotes the culture among the police and community to work together Robert Peel set forth the following principles on which the police force should be based: 1. The duty of the police is to prevent crime and disorder. 2. The power of the police to fulfill their duties is dependent on public approval and on their ability to secure and maintain public respect. 3. Public respect and approval also mean the willing cooperation of the public. Bangladesh Journal of Bioethics 2020; 11 (1): 9-23 13 4. The police must seek and preserve public favor not by pursuing but by demonstrating impartial service to the people and the law. The police should strive to maintain a relationship with the public that gives the belief that the police are the public and the public are the police. The test of police efficiency is the absence of crime and disorder, not the visible appearance of police9. Peel’s principles emphasized the interdependency of the police and the public in controlling and preventing crime and disorder. Peel also opined that the police could only be successful at their jobs when they got public approval and assistance in their actions without resorting to force or severity of the law. It is true now that police cannot control crime and disorder without the support and voluntary co-operation of the people10. What do the law and ethics say and what Police done? Police have to perform the most significant role in making the criminal justice system a success In doing so police have to be ethically sound, socially acceptable, and morally just and sympathetic. Often allegations are heard about brutality and corruption of the police. The police are given power by law, For example, to use force to carry arms, to arrest and detain people, to search for people, vehicles, and belongings. Likewise other state organs, the police may be the reason for the violation of human rights during performing their duties. Policemen often use force at the time of arresting somebody empowered by the CPC (The Code of Criminal Procedure) For example how to secure arrest by using force ( Section 46)/ breaking door, window to escape at the time of arrest ( Section. 48) / breaking door, window to escape at the time of arrest (Section.49)excessive use of force is forbidden at the time of arrest(sec 50) power of body search ( section.51,52)/ power of arms seize (section.53) arrest without warrant (section 54) Arrest of Vagabonds by o/c (section.55) / Pursuit of offenders into other justification (sec.58)/ Police to report apprehensions (sec. 62) / and so on forth. However, the role of police regarding immoral activities is a matter of question within the national frontiers. Various aspects of interpersonal relations are governed according to the constitution adopted by the country. In Bangladesh, the constitution has taken due care to protect rights of the citizen and to that extent adopted various articles, In clauses 27,31,32,33,34,35,37and 43 right to live, right to work, right to own property, freedom of speech, equal treatment before the law, right to be defended in a criminal proceeding, right to be produced before the court. When arrested within twenty-four hours etc have been incorporated. The state has assured a guarantee to all those legal rights to its citizens through various organizations and mechanisms. The police Regulation of Bengal (PRB), 1943 rule no 280, 102,103,163,166 of the code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), 1898 also protects the right of the public and in section 24 of the Evidence Act, 1872.Section 24 of the said Act states that a confession of an accused person shall be irrelevant if it was made by inducement or threat. Let's see what the perception of the public about Police is. The research was conducted by the researcher himself. This survey was conducted in the years 2019. The target group of the study was the 15 to a 79- year-old population except for the District of Noakhali, Barishal, Feni, Dhaka & Chittagong. About 1000 people were interviewed for the study. The sample was formed by quota sampling, the quotas being Bangladesh Journal of Bioethics 2020; 11 (1): 9-23 14 the target group’s age, sex, regional and municipal distribution. The interviews were conducted in 25 localities in Bangladesh as face-to-face interviews, using the computer- aided personal interview system (CAPI). The interviews were conducted during the period 19 October - 8 November 2019. The mean margin of error of the overall results on a 95% confidence level is ±2.5 percentage units. Forty -five unique studies covering 251 cases met inclusion criteria. Data reported in 21 studies indicated that 65% of people seem that police brutality happens lack of morality and Police harass innocent people in an unethical way. Data from 75 studies indicated that Police do not perform their duty properly. If the police are moral, the crime will be reduced by 75 percent from the country. 52 % of people considered that the police are influenced by political parties. Data reported in 13 studies indicated that 8 of 100 police are ethical and a survey across a wide range of BD and transport/ sectors reported that 82% of drivers have to pay exhortation to police per week/ monthly, otherwise the police harassed them in several ways. The image crisis of the police force has been seen among the people due to immoral behavior by some police officers though they lead several operations with the risk of their life. Yet people's perceptions of the police are not positive. There are many reasons. The main reason for this negative perception is the conduct of illegal, biased, and amateur activities. However, Police have taken place many immoral, unsocial & amateur activities due to lack of morality. Some of these facts we can learn which are published in several newspapers and some of the facts remain hidden. From the published news we can assume how biased and immoral the police are in the absence of morality! For example, Transparency International stated that Police are the most corrupted organization in Bangladesh. Voice of America reports Bangladesh police to have a long history of allegations and Police in Bangladesh have long been accused of abduction, enforced disappearance, extrajudicial killing, and other abuses12. Bangla Daily Newspaper Jaijaidin reports with the source of BBC that ‘There is no crime that the police are not involved’13. Below I present some of the immoral activities of the police by taken help from several reports that published the daily newspapers of Bangladesh. In 2019, Nusrat murder was a burning issue across the country, it was proved that the then OC of Sonagazi Moazzem Hossain was the fuel in this murder. The Daily Sun reports that allegations against OC Moazzem proved in the investigation. In detail they report- Former Sonagazi Model Police Station OC was sued for spreading a video on social media after recording a statement from Nusrat at Sonagazi Model Police Station. During an interrogation, Moazzem asked Nusrat offensive and unpleasant questions over the incident. Later, he spread the video on social media. On April 6, Nusrat was set afire at an examination center allegedly by people loyal to the principal of her madrasa after he was arrested and subsequently suspended as she had accused him of sexually harassing her in Sonagazi Upazila of Feni district14. The Daily Protham alo on 12th June reports that The police submit a charge sheet in the name of the deceased person. Surprised by the incident, the court judge said, "This is not a big deal in all possible countries"15. In the daily Jugantor published with the headlines name `Grab the money’ that covers a lot of accusation against the police Bangladesh Journal of Bioethics 2020; 11 (1): 9-23 15 on 24th August 2014, they enclose a lot of incident below I just mention one of them. On January 3, Sub inspector (SI) Mashiur Rahman was arrested Saudi Arabia resident Badal Khan, while he talking to a friend on the road in South Bishal of Darussalam police station. Badal first complained SI Mashiur demanded money from him after his arrest. If you do not pay the money, Yaba and the money laundering case threatens to get caught. Seven policemen, including two officers-in- charge of two police stations in Chattogram, were sued yesterday for taking Tk 23 lakh from a businessperson by "threatening to kill him in crossfire".Yasin, 55, owner of M/S Yasin Enterprise in Chattogram city, filed a case with the court of Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Mohiuddin Murad16. Bangladeshi’s best English newspaper the Daily Star published reports where they told that a video showing on-duty policemen harassing a young woman at a checkpoint in the capital has triggered outrage on social media on 24th October-18. At least two policemen were seen in the footage stopping a three-wheeler auto-rickshaw carrying the woman, who was traveling alone and seeking to check her handbag. As the cops started using offensive language, an altercation broke out between the woman and the policemen. The law enforcers were heard hinting that she was a prostitute (you just came out of a hotel) as she was traveling late at night. As the cops constantly shone a torch in her face, she asked them to take it off and check her handbag. The policemen still kept on intimidating her. As the woman protested their indecent behavior, one of the cops threatened that they would take her away’17. The same newspaper reports another immoral activities of police officers where they report- Officer-in-Charge of Paltan Police Station Mahmudul Haque has been suspended following allegations of rape. He allegedly raped a woman after promising to marry her and give her a decent job18. Another English daily the new age reports like same that is -` A police constable was beaten up by local people allegedly for sexually harassing a19. Five railway policemen allegedly raped the woman after arresting her on allegations of stealing a mobile phone. Police produced her before a court the following day showing her arrested with five bottles of contraband Phensidyl syrup20. I can present more data similar to the above as evidence of the police’s unethical and illegal activates.such as - Abu Bakkar Siddique, 45, an accused in a case filed under the Digital Security Act, died in the custody of Tejgaon Industrial Area police station21. Police filed a case against a 10-month-old child22. Highway police are regularly taking bribery and extortion every day in the name of intimidation of the case and viewing of papers23. Extortion allegation against police 24. Million taka extortion of police on 102 Bar and club in the capital 25. Intimidating the case Police are accused of embezzling merchant money26. A Police member threw a schoolgirl at a ventilator after the rape27. 'Police shoot with broken legs, I'm crippled now'28. Charge sheet against a child!29, A private car has been broken by a man who is in abroad 30. A police constable was beaten up by local people allegedly for sexually harassing a woman in on 30th August-19 31. From these news we are clear that how immoral and biased the police is. In Protham Alo published a piece of interesting news about Bangladesh Journal of Bioethics 2020; 11 (1): 9-23 16 the police and their partisan role. They reported on September 6, 2014, that BNP’s convenor Abdul Azizullah died on May 27. But after 20 months of his death Chawakbazar thana police have accused him of a case. He allegedly threw bricks at the police in the old central jail area of Dhaka on September 6. And police alleged that he also exploded cocktail with other leaders of Opposition party BNP32. I can present more examples about police immorality by taken news from newspapers such as 12 members of Police including SP was accused of selling a million pieces of Yaba in Cox's Bazar. The investigation of a committee constituted by the police headquarters also confirmed the incident. However, the police administration did not take any action against them33, Police threat for crossfire34. Accused of arranging a crossfire drama after the teenager's death in police torture35. Crossfire fearing threat is to earn money36. OC, SI among 4 sued for extortion using ‘crossfire’ threat37. With the silent support of the police, the center seized the ballot and set fire to it38. Blackmail showing nude pictures of a housewife in Thakurgaon. Police did not take charge of the police station39. Police officer tried to blackmail Bangladesh Bank official threatening Yaba taint40. Police did not take any action Rabbi's case against SI Masud 41. In some cases, people have been “picked up” from homes or streets by members of the security forces who subsequently denied knowledge of their whereabouts to family members. This may amount to enforced disappearance. In some cases, family members witnessed their loved ones being taken away by security forces only to be found later in the morgues. In the media, some reports repeat official narratives of “gunfights” with security forces – such as the police, the Rapid Action Battalions (RAB), or unknown armed persons leading to deaths of suspected drug dealers42. Police did not take action even though there were casinos in Dhaka43. Charge sheet has been submitting at the court against the 13 peoples’ including 13 police members where Nasim khan, Khalishpur (Khulna) thana officer is accused of upholding the eyes of small businessmen. In a statement of the case, they mention that the police uphold the eyes of shah jamal accusation of robber when they did not get the money that they demand44. However, Police authorities are receiving a lot of complaints against their members every day from across the country. Some of these include bribery, harassment, torture of women, and extortion. Apart from that, policemen are also being accused of threatening to kill people. These allegations are pouring in at the ‘IGP Complain Monitoring Cell’. On average, this cell receives more than 3000 complaints per month through e-mails, text messages, or calls45. The daily star wrote another column on the editorial page about police immorality on 24 January 2019. They enclose some data about police abuse of power. They reported that it is quite ludicrous that a physically challenged man whose right arm has been deformed since birth has been made one of the 52 people accused of violently attacking the police using sharp instruments like machetes46. Another English daily The Daily New Age published about police immature action with veteran peoples’ on 5th February-2019, the reports was as 70-year- old Karamat Ali, visually-challenged came to the High Court Division on Monday, seeking anticipatory bail in a ‘gayebi mamla’ (false case) filed against him by police before the December 30 general election. Bangladesh Journal of Bioethics 2020; 11 (1): 9-23 17 The case accused Karamat Ali and 39 others of committing subversive activities and rioting by setting fire to a motorbike at village Banda Goaliya, Kheruadani union, Muktagaccha, Mymensingh district on December 22, just eight days before the parliament elections. Karamat Ali came to the High Court along with the 39 accused in the case filed with the Muktagaccha Police Station on December 24. Karamat Ali, was wearing black goggles and roaming the Supreme Court premises with the support of a bamboo stick, drew the attention of bystanders at noon when he was seen gossiping with other accused besides the SC’s sculpture. There is none to take care of Karamat as his wife and two sons died many years ago. Karamat is unable to move without the support and he makes his life on alms from the well-off47. Monday 25th April 2018, a case was filed by the police against a young man for carrying yaba pills in Chittagong. In a dramatic turn of events, a counter case was filed by the accused’s mother against seven police officers, claiming that it was a sort of sued. According to Meherunessa, her son Mehedi Hasan was picked up from the street by the police and the police demanded money worth BDT three lacs. “At his refusal, the police put 40 yaba tablets in his pocket and charged him for carrying them”, claimed by Meherunnessa. Such an instance, however, is not new. Reports of similar occurrences from the leading dailies are mentioned below. On the 31st of January 2016, a female student was sexually harassed and alleged to carry 200 yaba pills. This was after she was brought down from her rickshaw by the sub- inspector of Mohammadpur area and taken to a shop in the name of the search. According to the woman, the policemen searched her bag for an hour and asked her to take off her jacket with indecent language. The SI was later suspended48. In February of the same year, a Barisal police officer was suspended for extortion and harassing two businessmen. The sub- inspector forcefully took the businessmen to a hotel in Natun Bazar bus terminal area and demanded Tk 50,000 from them, according to a complaint by the businessmen. Later, the SI put Yaba tablets inside one of their pockets and threatened to arrest them if they do not give him the sum of money, the businessmen alleged49. In late October of 2016, a sub-inspector of Chowgacha Police Station kept yaba pills via a source at a store owned by Mr. Rabon Kumar. The pills were found by the SI after the source came out. After other traders in the market stood up for Rabon, the SI and his source fled the scene50. In December 2016, two Chittagong Metropolitan Police constables were suspended for deliberately putting yaba pills in a journalist’s pocket. Mr. Mostafa was brought down from his bus and taken to the police box. He alleged that the constable tried to trap him when he found nothing after searching his pocket 51 . In 2018, three incidents of a similar pattern took place in Jessore. On 11th June, an SI got into trouble as he tried to put a packet of opium into a young man’s pocket in the Baily Road area. On 15th June, an SI of the Kotwali Police Station of Benapole was barred for trying to make a college teacher accused in a drug peddling case. A source of the SI tried to arrest the teacher after inserting some yaba pills into his pocket, triggering chaos52.Two days after this incident, a police constable of Jessore faced Bangladesh Journal of Bioethics 2020; 11 (1): 9-23 18 mob beating for allegedly putting yaba in the pocket of a businessman named Pikul. In the way of conversation, the constable tried to put 3-4 pieces of yaba tablets wrapped in a polythene packet into Pikul’s pocket. Upon Pikul’s screaming, a mob gathered and beat the police constable as they found yaba tablets in his hands53. Incidents like these are rampant in Dhaka city. On June 27, 2018, a journalist named Ashik was stopped by patrol police and put on a police van. He was beaten and told that he would be set free if he paid Tk. 100,000/. After the journalist said that he could only pay Tk. 5,000, the police charged him with possession of yaba, according to a report of bdnews24.com54. Of late we find there is a decline in Police standards. Various reasons can be attributed to this, firstly, Bangladesh has long been under colonial rule. Most of the rules and regulations of the police were enacted at that time. With that regime, there is a huge difference between the current regime and the people's perspective. Therefore, the rules and regulations imposed during the time of building harmony between both the police and the people are the main obstacles. Secondly, lack of training given to police personnel is another cause of concern, because along with a degree, the skill also contributes to the personality development of Police officers. Thirdly, the Immoral and biased attitude of the police cannot be stopped as there is no stick punishment for the police. On the other hand, some members of the police are punished for the crime. Often, crime is terrible but punishment is negligible. It is alleged that there were serious allegations against many officers of the rank of Sub-Inspector, Inspector, Assistant Police Commissioner or Additional Police Commissioner, but no strict penalty or action was taken against them. As the initial allegations were proved, the action was taken against the accused police personnel by the Government Employees (Discipline and Appeal) Rule-1. Necessary steps should be taken to enforce the penal code under Government Employees (Discipline and Appeals) Rule-1. Fourthly, the Police personnel’s often regulated in politics If the government continues to do so, it will be unable to regulate police; on the other hand, will become dependent on them and people will continue to suffer at the hands of their protector. Fifthly, Insufficient salary – allowance for police, sixthly, Anxiety and boar is another cause of police because, Police officers and constables work 13-18 hours a day, which is almost double the working hours of the government employees of other professions. On an average officer in charge of a metropolitan police station works 18 hours a day, an officer in charge in district and thana levels works 15 hours. In all the police stations sub-inspectors, Assistant Sub- Inspectors and constables work 13-16 hours a day. As professional service requires sufficient rest and refreshment. As advocated by National Police Commission a Chief of Police of a State should be given a fixed tenure of the office to encourage functional independence. It has been commonplace in Bangladesh for transfers and postings of officers to be used as a kind of reward and punishment, as a result of which, many chiefs of police have had allegiances to political parties. Also, the selection of Police Chief could be entrusted to an expert committee. The committee may be given a pre-specified number of candidates, decided based on seniority, to choose from. Strict supervision and monitoring, tough punishment, and the will Bangladesh Journal of Bioethics 2020; 11 (1): 9-23 19 to put an end to the culture of impunity can only stop the involvement of the police force in extortion and serious crimes. Furthermore, we expect departmental action to be taken against all corrupt police officials, not just a few OCs and cops who are sued on extortion allegations. The police department should display a serious zero tolerance towards all police crimes. This is very fundamental. A civilized society based on the rule of law cannot be built unless we have an honest police force. It is expected the people at the top echelon of police and their authority, the home ministry, should realize this. Neyroud and Beckley emphasize the significance of ethics for the police in particular, because: They have the discretion to make decisions which affect the life, liberty, and property of other citizens, They have the power to use intrusive, covert and deceptive methods, They have to enforce the law, They have to protect the rights of citizens, They have a crucial role in protecting hard- to-reach minority groups, They are public servants and, therefore, as the appointed guardians of the public’s interests, they must show high standards of integrity (a commitment to moral life), They are the gatekeepers of citizenship and respectability, The integrity of the police worldwide has suffered a series of shocks, whether it be as a result of corruption, incompetence, or racism55 The main goal of policing ethics is to maintain neutrality when taking any action. Maintaining integrity in decision making, they don’t be partisan. The tremendous power that police have over people’s lives requires ethics in exercise. People expect that police should always represent well over evil. To achieve and maintain public trust, police must be persons of good character who hold foremost the ideals of fairness and justice. How police use their discretion to enforce the law and solve problems determines whether the public views the police with ethics or having ethical behavior. Overall policing ethics is Uphold the law, norms, and ethical guidelines in all official operations and private life. Respect the general citizen and Serve them as an example to others and show bias to no-one. The law is the same for all. Be reliable and above bribery. This is what the police are all about.” In below some maxim for policing ethics given by Nurul Huda, former IGP of Bangladesh 56. 1) Police must not evade the registration of a crime as that means committing a breach of law under the Penal Code. Such evasions embolden the criminal, to say the least; 2) Police must not misbehave with the citizens; 3) Police must not implicate innocent persons in criminal cases and must not fabricate evidence to secure a conviction; 4) Police must not resort to third-degree methods in the investigation of cases. Such practices only tend to alienate the police from the public, and are not permitted by the law either; 5) Police must not extort confessions from the accused by adopting tortuous methods of investigation; 6) Police must be apolitical in their professional capacity and impartial in their application of the law; 7) The police shall not indulge in excesses like a violation of the principle of the minimum use of force; and 8) Police officials must not show any proclivity to please the political bosses for their personal and professional gains. In short, the philosophy of ethical policing is to be fair in making a decision, neutral in Bangladesh Journal of Bioethics 2020; 11 (1): 9-23 20 action, sober to people, habituated in doing the right thing, and avoiding wrong things. Ethical behavior by individual officers and by the department as a whole is indispensable to effective police-community partnerships57. Police will provide personal services to the individuals based on their needs and the function of the police is to be based on need assessment giving due regards to local norms and values. Instead of sitting in the office to receive a complaint or patrolling by car, the officers are to get out from their office and vehicles and initiate positive interactions with the citizens in their area of responsibility to have public views and suggestion about ongoing policing, local problems and changes in policing, if required58 . The Police have to realize that they are public servants and accountable to the public. They are meant to ensure public security within the limits prescribed by law. If the community assists police, the investigation of crimes would be effective and efficient resulting in the overall improvement of law and order situation. Conclusion: Police are the most important and essential force of any nation. We cannot think of peaceful sustenance without an efficient and responsible police force. Not every person needs to always need the assistance of the police in his day to day life. However, in the absence of police total anarchy will let lose upon us. If we aim to make quality policing a way of life, then the existing police setup has to be replaced with one that is more “customer & Ethics-friendly”. There has to be a clear, shared sense of mission accompanied by clearly understood organizational goals. The citizens have to be a part of the policy decision-making process. The police command and control structure has to fully rest with the police chiefs. Police leadership has to be empowered to effectively control their erring subordinates. There have to be credible and effective mechanisms for policing the police. And finally, the Police Act 1861 has to be replaced with new legislation that embraces all the essential elements of reinvention, based on the best models available in the world. People’s faith in the police should be restored. Police do not have the license to kill even a killer and they have to protect the right to life and personal liberty of an arrested person in their custody and state should rein in their agents and bring them to justice those are abridging the fundamental human rights of arrestees and subjecting them to fortune, physical harassment and custodial violence. Efforts should be made to restore the faith of the people in the police given that law enforcement agencies are integral for maintaining law and order in the Country and their contribution to the society cannot be undermined. Police ethics provides a compass to both police officers and police managers, by specifying the core imperatives, values, and virtues of policing, by delineating the process of moral reasoning and decision-making, by setting the standards of ethical conduct, and by defining the means and the content of police ethics education and training. Police scholars and practitioners have to cooperate in developing police ethics. This is not an easy task for either of them. Developing and implementing police ethics invokes changes in the police organization. Police organizations and police officers, as we know, are very resistant to change. Those police scholars and practitioners entrusted with developing police ethics must, therefore, themselves be persons of high integrity. In developing and implementing police ethics, a lot of people will have to be told the things they most definitely do not want to hear. 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Policing, ethics and human rights. Devon: Willan. p- 222 [56] Nurul Huda, A citizens’ expectation from the Police, Published at The Daily star on 4th February- 2019 [57] A K M Shahidul Haque, Police Community with Concept of Community Policing, 2016,Dhaka, pp. 80 [58] Ibid, pp-20 Author Contributions: Author conceived the idea, did the literature review and wrote the manuscript. and checked the manuscript meticulously. Conflict of interests: The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest in this study.