Police varsity needs
for modern forces

Police demand separate varsity urgently

Staff Correspondent: The establishment of a separate university for the Bangladesh Police Force in purpose of developing professional skills with higher education is now a matter of urgency to compete with the police forces of developing countries.
Neighboring countries like India and China have more than one police university but no such initiative has been taken in Bangladesh so far. As a result, the police personnel of this country are being deprived of the opportunity to get higher education and to acquire their professional skills.
There is a lot of anger in the police force about this. However, due to the service rules, they are not able to open their mouths on this issue. The university will be open for general public as well for higher education but no new cost is involved with the Police varsity.
No pre-formal education system has yet been introduced in Bangladesh to get a job in the police force like the army or to choose the police force as a profession. For those who have once joined the police force, there is no higher education system in their own forces, on the one hand, as their skills are not increasing, they are not able to develop themselves and educate themselves in self-education. However, the number of members of Bangladesh Police has now crossed two and a quarter lakh.
New techniques and technologies are needed to detect the changing nature and nature of crime in the modern world. But due to lack of adequate training or institutional opportunity to acquire knowledge to enhance the skills of the police, they are not able to acquire knowledge about new techniques and technologies by hand.
Although you have to take some training, you have to go abroad. As a result, Bangladesh Police is lagging behind in achieving competitive professional excellence, which is not acceptable at all. Therefore, the conscious community thinks that the establishment of a police university is the demand of the time.
Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal recently in a function at Rajarbagh Police Headquarters on the occasion of Police Week 2022 admits the need of setting up a separate university for Bangladesh Police. Kamal said, “I’ll discuss the issue with Prime Minister.”
Daily Industry talked with former Inspector General of Police Nur Mohammad (MP) regarding the issue. He said the establishment of a police university for specialized studies in criminology, cyber crime and law is very important for those who want to choose the police as a profession. I request the government to immediately set up a police university under the supervision of the present police administration.
He further said that with the enactment of new laws on cyber and information technology, Bangladesh Police has very little idea about the application and use of these laws, due to which many cases are delayed or trials are disrupted due to submission of erroneous reports. If there was an opportunity for higher education in criminal theory and criminal law, the police would not be in any danger in handling such cases.
Another former IGP AKM Shahidul Haque said, there are many institutions of higher learning for the army, including multiple universities, but no higher education institutions for the police. When I was the police chief, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina gave verbal permission to set up a medical college at the Rajarbagh police headquarters, but it was not possible due to space constraints.
Shahidul Haque further said, “I think it is possible to build Bangladesh Police as a modern police force by establishing Bangladesh Police University and introducing medical colleges, technical and legal disciplines under it, which will be easily appreciated in the competitive world.”
The police have to play a leading role in building a modern economy, disaster management and dealing with various natural disasters, but they have to deal with many important crises due to lack of formal education and skills. Shahidul Haque thinks that if there was formal education in these new subjects, the police could have come to the doorsteps of the people with more modern services.
Dr Enayet Karim, President of the Global Economist Forum said: In my opinion, the police have to play a leading role in protecting the economy and development of the country. But in most cases, the police do not know what to do to achieve economic prosperity? The police are inexperienced in what should be done to play a role in the progress of the people and the country beyond the suppression of crime. That is why we need higher education and professionalism. And this excellence is possible only through the establishment of higher education institutions.
Dr Karim said: I regularly teach as a guest teacher at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Police University in India. We should also follow the way they provide higher education to enhance the professional skills of police officers. Otherwise, our police force will lag behind in terms of qualifications and skills.
There is another police university in India. No police officer is promoted above SP except the higher degree of those two schools. So, I think it can introduce mentality in Bangladesh, he added.
Former Additional IGP and rector of Police Staff College (PSC) Dr Md. Najibur Rahman, NDC told that the government needs not to pay any money for the varsity as the PSC campus in Mirpur is good enough to start any time. Later it could be shifted any suitable place, he added.
Dr. Anwarul Karim, eminent educationist and executive director of Bangabandhu Research Academy, recently said in this regard that improvement of various professions is not possible without specialized educational institutions. Bangladesh is a populous country of about 160 million people. There is no substitute for setting up a police university to control the daily organized crime of this huge population and to transform the police into a truly service-oriented institution.
He said at present there is no higher police education institution in Bangladesh except basic training for police personnel of all levels and police staff college for cadre officers. Although criminology has been taught briefly in a few universities, including Dhaka University, in recent times, there is no opportunity for massive higher education in this field in Bangladesh. Therefore, I think the Prime Minister’s intervention in the establishment of Bangladesh Police University is urgent.
Anwarul Karim also emphasized on setting up a strong police research institute, which he said would be easier if a university was established.
Apart from providing security to 160 million people in the country, the police have to ensure the security of various state ceremonies, but in many cases the police are not able to perform as expected due to lack of higher education, skills and modern knowledge. In that case, there is no alternative to establishing a police university to ensure higher education.
Regarding professional higher education, Dr. Md. Najibur Rahman, immediate past Rector of Police Staff College and ex-Additional Inspector General of Police, said that the establishment of a police university is now a demand for the lives of police personnel at all levels. Despite their desire for higher education, many policemen are being deprived of it due to lack of opportunities.

Therefore, I am seeking the kind vision of Prime Minister for setting up Bangabandhu Police University in the name of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu. If this university is established, not only Bangladesh Police members will get the opportunity to study, but also local and foreign government-private individuals and students will also get the opportunity to get higher education. This will ensure efficient manpower in the police in the future, Najibur Rahman added.