TDS Desk:

The government has moved to implement sweeping police reforms, including mandatory transparent interrogation rooms in every police station and stronger safeguards during arrests, searches, and detentions, in line with a Supreme Court directive.

To ensure immediate enforcement of the Supreme Court Appellate Division’s directives on arrest, search, and interrogation procedures, a series of robust reform measures have been recommended. These include installing separate glass-walled interrogation rooms in all police stations for the questioning of detainees or remand prisoners.

The decisions were made during a high-level meeting on July 23, chaired by Chief Secretary to the Chief Adviser M Siraj Uddin Miah, at the state guesthouse Jamuna.

Details were disclosed in a press statement issued by the Chief Adviser’s press wing on Monday, July 28.

In line with the court’s directives, the government may revise relevant sections of the Criminal Procedure Code and associated laws or regulations, depending on the outcome of a pending appeal review by the state. Authorities have also been urged to either withdraw or expedite the disposal of the appeal related to these directives.

Among other recommendations: Detention and Custody Conditions: Improvements in hygiene and humane treatment are to be ensured in police and court custody facilities. Vehicles used to transport detainees must also maintain a minimum standard of cleanliness and humane conditions. Female Detainees: Women suspects must be interrogated in the presence of female officers and with due respect to their dignity. Search and Seizure Transparency: If police officers refuse to identify themselves or conduct searches without a valid warrant, citizens should be able to report such incidents through a newly proposed emergency call service. This hotline would also allow immediate reporting of suspicious or improperly documented seizures. Accountability Measures: Law enforcement officers must wear GPS-enabled vests and carry video recording devices during all operations. Night-time house searches (from sunset to sunrise) must be conducted in the presence of an executive magistrate, a local government representative, or a respected community member. Case Filing Oversight: Filing of First Information Reports (FIRs) and the subsequent investigations must be regularly monitored by circle officers or the district police superintendent. No arrests may be made outside the scope of a filed FIR without express permission from a court. Punishment for Misuse of Power: If it is proven that charges were filed in false or politically motivated cases against non-residents, deceased individuals, or innocent citizens, punitive actions must be taken against the investigating officers. Filing cases against unnamed suspects without justification is to be discouraged, and police officers found to be harassing individuals under such charges must face legal consequences. These decisions form part of ongoing efforts by the Police Reform Commission to modernize law enforcement practices and restore public trust in the justice system.