Two political parties' top leaders personally called to express displeasure over police transfers: Asif Nazrul
BNP–Jamaat must come out of this ‘my man, your man’ culture, he says
Law Adviser Asif Nazrul has said that in the past six months, top leaders from the two major political parties that took part in the July Uprising personally called him to express their dissatisfaction over the transfer of two police officers.
"One party said, 'remove him,' while the other asked, 'why did you remove him?' BNP–Jamaat must come out of this 'my man, your man' culture," he said at a roundtable titled "Bangladesh Police Reform: Challenges and Actions" held at the Prothom Alo office in Karwan Bazar, Dhaka today (1 November).
He further noted that while smaller and emerging parties may seem free from this ailment for now, they too could be consumed by it if they grow in power.
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"The 'my man, your man' culture definitely reached a dangerous level during the Awami League's rule. Every evil and corrupt practice in Bangladesh started under the first Awami League government in 1973," he said.
"Disappearances, extrajudicial killings, custodial torture, deaths in custody, fake elections, and politicisation—all these began with the Awami League, and others continued the trend," Asif Nazrul added.
Highlighting that this culture also exists within civil society, he cited the example of the lack of protest when journalist Abul Asad was arrested during the Awami League regime.
He further remarked that then–prime minister Sheikh Hasina had turned the state security force, the police, into a "cruel, repressive, barbaric, and demonic institution."
