National emergency service 999 is growing in popularity with more and more people seeking help with the passage of time, but a handful of policemen allegedly misbehave with the service seekers and harass them instead of providing necessary help.

People call 999 to complain of various issues, including accidents, family feud, fighting, fire incidents, gambling, land grabbing, medical services, sound pollution, terrorism, theft and violence against women.

Once a called is made to the national helpline, the service is provided quickly to resolve the issue and thus it has gained people’s trust.

Over 4.58 crore calls were made to the national emergency service since its launch on December 12, 2017 till April 25 this year, according to the police.

Of them, the services were provided against over 1.91 crore calls. The services were provided by police and Fire Service and Civil Defence among others.

In the latest incident, a teenager girl who was sold to a Faridpur brothel and forced to have sex with different men has been rescued following a 999 call.

After receiving the call made through the helpline, a team of Faridpur Kotwali Police Station rescued the girl, 19, from Rothkhola Brothel in the district town on April 26.

MA Jalil, officer-in-charge of the police station, told the Daily Sun that some brokers of the brothel had taken the girl there from her home district, Bandarban, about two months back in the name of giving her a good job.

He said the criminals then sold the girl to the brothel, adding that the victim was handed over to her family members following the rescue.

However, a handful of dishonest policemen sometimes misbehave with the service seekers and harass them instead, jeopardising the image of the police department. 

On April 6, Fatema Begum of Suktail village in Gopalganj Sadar upazila sought police help through 999 as her neighbours were allegedly constructing a septic tank in their land.

Sub-inspector of Gopinathpur Police Outpost Abu Hasan and assistant sub-inspector Waheduzzaman rushed to the spot and halted the work, said the victim’s family.

But after a while, the behaviour of the policemen changed and they took Fatema, her husband Hiru Molla and their son Bayezid Molla to the police outpost, said Helal Molla, another son of the Fatema-Hiru couple.

After that, Chameli Begum, who is their opponent, filed a women repression case against them.  And police showed them arrested in the case.

When contacted, officer-in-charge of Gopalganj Sadar Police Station Jabed Masud claimed that the arrestees tortured the complainant of the case in front of the policemen. “That’s why they were arrested.”

But some witnesses said no incident like torture on Chameli or anyone else took place at that time.

Around 10:00pm on October 19 last year, some 14 people, including Muktar and Akhtar, stormed into the house of Mizanur Rahman at Badekhanpur village under Narayanpur union in Chaugachha upazila of Jashore.

They swooped on Mizan’s youngest son Riad Hossain, leaving him unconscious. They also beat a relative of the victim.

Then, the victim’s family called helpline 999 and a team of police from Chaugachha Police Station, led by SI Kawsar, went to the spot and assured the family that there would be no such incident in future.

At one point, SI Kawsar allegedly threatened the family not to proceed with the matter.

Lipika Sultana, mother of Riad, held a press briefing at the Chaugachha Press Club in October in this regard. 

On March 8 last year, some policemen tortured three members of a family instead of providing them with help at Bibir Bagicha in Jatrabari area of the capital. They had gone to the house after being called by the victims through 999.

Later, the policemen were suspended for showing non-professional attitude during the incident.

Contacted, Manzur Rahman, assistant inspector general (Media and Public Relations) of police, told the Daily Sun that they were yet to receive allegation against policemen after they were assigned to a tasks following a call through 999.

“Even after that, if we get any specific allegation against any policeman, necessary action will be taken against him or her,” he said.