Beyond Uniforms and Rebranding
By G M Forhadul Mozumdar (Dhaka Bureau)
In the ongoing discourse surrounding institutional reforms in Bangladesh, the core challenge for the country’s law enforcement agencies lies far beyond superficial changes like changing uniforms or rebranding. Experts and human rights observers emphasize that the ultimate litmus test for the state will be restoring the public trust that has been systematically eroded over decades.
The Symbol of Fear vs. The Elite Force
An elite security force is constitutionally mandated to instill fear in criminals and provide sanctuary to law-abiding citizens. However, in Bangladesh, words like ‘crossfire,’ ‘enforced disappearances,’ and ‘midnight raids’ have deeply traumatized the public psyche. When innocent citizens fear a state apparatus as much as criminals do, it indicates a profound collapse of the institution’s foundational principles.
Political Weaponization and the Culture of Impunity
This structural decay was accelerated by the weaponization of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) as a tool for political regimes rather than a protector of the state. Its repeated deployment against opposition politicians, journalists, and civil society activists shifted public perception from a ‘protector of the nation’ to a ‘protector of power.’
Compounding this crisis was a deep-seated culture of impunity. For years, botched operations or civilian casualties were met with institutional silence, a lack of transparent investigation, and zero accountability. Over time, the official narratives of ‘gunfights’ completely lost credibility among the masses.
The Long Road to Reconciliation
Trust takes decades to build but can vanish in a single moment. For Bangladesh’s security forces, the baggage of hundreds of such incidents spans generations. Therefore, cosmetic changes such as a new name, alternative uniforms, or isolated positive public relations campaigns will not heal the systemic wounds.
According to international human rights frameworks, restoring institutional trust requires a long-term, painful, but necessary process:
* Official Acknowledgment: The state must officially recognize past human rights violations, torture, and extrajudicial actions. Healing begins only when the grief of affected families is validated by the state.
* Visible Accountability: Law enforcement personnel involved in enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings must face public and transparent judicial trials. One visible trial sends a stronger message than a thousand official statements.
* Cultivating a Culture of Refusal: There must be institutional safeguards that allow personnel to say ‘no’ to illegal or unethical orders from superiors. Until lower-ranking officers feel secure enough to reject unlawful commands without fearing the end of their careers, structural changes will remain meaningless.
An Institutional Blindness
True institutional strength is derived from public cooperation, not intimidation. While fear can temporarily control a population, it cannot eradicate crime. Effective policing relies heavily on intelligence provided voluntarily by the community. If the public views the force with suspicion, cooperation ceases, rendering the institution functionally ‘blind’ despite its heavy weaponry.
Whether under the banner of RAB or a newly structured agency, the true battle for Bangladesh’s security apparatus will not be fought on the streets, but in the hearts of its citizens. Achieving public trust remains its hardest and most crucial war.
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The Writer:
G M Forhadul Mozumdar: Staff Correspondent, Pressenza- Dhaka Bureau.
