Report slates Bangladesh police

By Alastair Lawson
BBC correspondent in Dhaka

Policing problems are being blamed for a host of national malaises

Bangladesh's police have become an obstacle to progress, according to a report by the UN Development Programme and the Bangladeshi Government.

It says the force's problems have grave implications for the social and economic well-being of Bangladesh.

The report is one of the most comprehensive into the state of the police here.

Bangladesh's 100,000 strong force is notorious for being corrupt, understaffed, ill-paid and demoralised.

Extortion and bribery

The police is regarded as one of the most corrupt bodies in a country recently labelled - for the third year running - as the most corrupt in the world by monitoring group Transparency International.

The problems identified in the joint report written by the UN and the government of Bangladesh appear endless.

Policemen are perceived as being more interested in extortion and bribery than serious crime fighting.

The report's author, Rowan Barnsley, told the BBC: "The main conclusions we have come to are that there is significant need for institutional strengthening for the Bangladesh police."

"There is also significant need for better use of existing resources, but overall a lot of training is needed and a lot of the organisational systems need to be improved."

Mr Barnsley says the government of Bangladesh is determined to make its police force more efficient, but the report warns there is a long way to go.

It says there is no transparent recruitment or promotion process, and there is too much emphasis on ceremonial duties rather than crime-fighting.

There are also shortfalls in management and training and a lack of sensitivity to the victims of crime.

The full report is expected to be published in the near future.