The Politics of Police Reform in Bangladesh

Police Reform, described as ‘too hot to handle’ by Stephen Savage, is a critical issue in the developing democracies. Bangladesh, a former British Colony as part of the British ruled India, liberated in 1971, is still governed by the 19th Century British Laws which is long overdue to reform. The Police Act of 1861 is yet to be reformed to fulfill the requirements of democracy. The Government initiated Police Reform Programme (PRP), supported by Department for International Development (DFID) and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), has been struggling to be implemented to reform the Police ‘Force’ of Bangladesh towards a Police ‘Service’. This book has mainly focused on the complex issues of Policing and Police Reforms in Bangladesh with special emphasis on the Police Reform regard to developing democracies.