Public aspirations mocked by Police Commission Ordinance: TIB

Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) has criticised the Police Commission Ordinance, 2025, enacted by the interim government, calling it a token move that undermines the prospect of establishing an independent police commission and mocks long-standing public aspirations for genuine police reform.

In a statement issued today (15 December), TIB said the ordinance betrays the unprecedented opportunity for comprehensive reform created by the July movement, which came at the cost of significant bloodshed.

The organisation argued that even if a police commission is formed under the proposed framework, it will neither be independent nor capable of fulfilling its intended mandate, and will instead become another project that wastes public funds while entrenching the dominance of government-aligned retired and deputed bureaucrats and police officials.

TIB Executive Director Dr Iftekharuzzaman said the ordinance is deeply flawed in its concept, structure and design, and fails to meet its core objective of creating an independent police commission.

"The ordinance would further consolidate the control of administrative and police bureaucracies, particularly the Ministry of Home Affairs, over the police force, rather than ensuring professionalism and accountability," he said.

"As a result, the long-standing crisis of public trust caused by abuse of power, human rights violations, corruption and multi-dimensional crimes will only worsen," he added.

Dr Iftekharuzzaman also said that the proposed commission would function as a mechanism to legitimise police misconduct under government influence rather than address complaints independently.

The TIB director noted that the police commission long demanded by citizens and civil society must, in line with national experience and international best practices, be effectively independent of government influence.

However, he pointed out that the ordinance does not even mention the word "independence."

He raised concerns over the composition of the proposed commission, warning of serious conflicts of interest.

According to TIB, the mandatory inclusion of retired bureaucrats and police officials, particularly the provision to appoint a retired police officer as member secretary, undermines the commission's neutrality and credibility.

TIB said there is no precedent in Bangladesh or internationally for guaranteeing leadership positions in commissions to a specific class of officials, or for granting a member secretary voting rights and equal status with commission members.

TIB further said the ordinance creates scope for turning the commission into a refuge for retired and deputed officials, allowing the culture of impunity within the police to persist.

It also criticised the proposed selection committee, saying the presence of senior officials such as the cabinet secretary and home secretary makes it unrealistic to expect decisions free from government or bureaucratic influence.

Dr Iftekharuzzaman also highlighted concerns over Article 13 of the ordinance, which refers to maintaining a balance between "public security and human rights" without defining public security.

He warned that this ambiguity could be used to legitimise human rights violations and undermine the independence of the National Human Rights Commission.

He added that the proposed Citizen Complaint Management Committee and Police Complaint Resolution Committee, both to be formed with members of the police commission itself, would face inherent conflicts of interest, making impartial resolution of complaints impossible.

TIB also objected to provisions allowing complaints within the jurisdiction of the National Human Rights Commission to be resolved through coordination, saying this infringes on the commission's authority.

It said that the lack of financial independence under Articles 23, 24 and 25, along with administrative dependence on deputed officials from the bureaucracy and police, would effectively reduce the proposed commission to a subordinate government office.

"If the ordinance remains unchanged, the organisation warned, prospects for genuine police reform would be reduced to zero," it said.

TIB urged the government to promptly revise and amend the Police Commission Ordinance, 2025, addressing these concerns and removing provisions that appear to accommodate anti-reform elements within the state.

It said only such revisions would allow the establishment of a truly independent police commission, free from government and bureaucratic interference, and aligned with public expectations for meaningful reform.