The Bangladesh Police Service Association (BPSA) has recently issued an intimidating and abnormally long statement consisting 12 paragraphs going beyond 50 sentences - claiming and complaining on the countrys media industry for publishing partial, motivated and indiscriminate news reports about former and serving members of the Bangladesh police.
However, the statement is issued hot in the heels following a series of inconceivable alleged corruption cases of a group of former and serving police officers unearthed and reported by various media agencies in the past couple of months.
Curiously enough, while BPSA has every right to protest against false and fabricated media reports about its members, its statement clearly hadn mention any name of alleged victims of defamation, making it difficult to accuse any media outlet for publishing offensive and negative news reports stemming out of personal vengeance and self-interests that goes against journalistic ethics.
Even more puzzling, the association issued an advisory to journalists, asking them to exercise caution and maintain journalistic principles when reporting on the police.
Our response to the BPSA statement is simple and clear - identify false news reports, clearly mention names of victims and please refrain from mentoring the media by issuing uncalled-for journalism advisories. In addition, we consider the statement as a direct attack on the freedom of press.
Instead of turning unnecessarily reactive, the BPSA must come to realise one after another tale of corruption ranging from amassing huge wealth illegally, abuse of official power, incidents of human rights violation, sex scandals to submitting false investigative reports, all have manifestly shocked the nation in recent weeks.
Other than blaming and lecturing the media industry, we believe the BPSA could have done a better job by urgently addressing the rot within by formulating and introducing new police reform schemes, so to repair and clean the countrys elite law enforcement agencys discerning dirty and dangerous image.
A more constructive approach would have been a prompt announcement of an internal investigation into the recently published serious allegations. Such a move would have demonstrated the forces commitment in tackling corruption.
We not only condemn such vague, intimidating and advisory-like statement, but also compelled to question BPSAs degree of competence and proficiency in terms of issuing official statements for protesting and safeguarding its members.
In conclusion, as a responsible media outlet we have always acknowledged and appreciated Bangladesh Police forces contributions in various struggles, disasters and crises, beginning with the Liberation War. However, that doesn mean the media will remain silent and tolerate polices abuse of power and corruption, and allow its official authority to be used as a license to commit crimes or as a tool to protect its dubious officials.
BPSA still has time to retract or withdraw its latest statement.
