Propaganda by ‘covert, fascist collaborators’ hurting morale, says Police Service Association

The Bangladesh Police Service Association has claimed that “covert elements and collaborators of fascists” hiding within and outside the police force are deliberately spreading misinformation and misleading propaganda in an attempt to weaken the morale of the police.

In a statement issued on Sunday, the organization’s General Secretary and the Police Super of Dhaka District, Shamima Parvin, said that these individuals are supplying false, motivated, and misleading information to some online activists and self-styled journalists based both at home and abroad. The information is subsequently being circulated on social media in an exaggerated and distorted manner without proper verification or scrutiny.

The statement said that following the political changeover on August 5, 2024, an interested group has been deliberately conducting a misinformation campaign aimed at undermining the gradual recovery of morale within the police force. According to the association, “fugitive and alienated fascist forces” and their associates are engaged in attempts to damage the image of the police.

The Police Service Association claims that motivated information is being circulated on social media to conduct slander and smear campaigns against police officers at all levels, from individual personnel to senior officials and even the head of the force. As a result, not only is the morale of police personnel who have returned to duty being affected, but the force’s motivation and operational effectiveness are also being hampered.

The organization said that, in the post-uprising period, the police’s professional capabilities and morale are extremely important for maintaining law and order in the country and ensuring the safety and security of people and their property. 

It says deliberate rumors, misinformation, and defamatory propaganda are harming not only the police force but also the state, the people, and the aspirations for a stable and democratic Bangladesh.

The Bangladesh Police Service Association has called for the individuals involved in such propaganda and the spread of misinformation to be identified and subjected to strict and exemplary action in accordance with existing laws, regulations, and organizational discipline.

At the same time, the Bangladesh Police Service Association has urged anyone involved in such activities to refrain from actions that damage the image of the police force and from any unlawful or reprehensible conduct.