Panna Akter has been Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's chauffeur for the Police Day Parade for the last four years. Despite shining in her career, she faces disproportionate adversity and discovers the depths of male cynicism even in the streets.
Published : 08 Mar 2022, 01:26 AM
And that, she feels, is only because she is a woman.
“People don’t say anything, but their behaviour says it all. Those behind the wheel don’t always listen when I ask them to stop or pull over. They think I'll not be able to chase them on a motorcycle.”
Panna and many others think putting the word “woman” before police has made them subject to discrimination, while they continue their stressful efforts in managing traffic in the city.
Although colleagues are more sympathetic, these women meet a great deal of hostility from the general people on the ground.
WOMEN IN THE FORCE
Of the 329 police officers in the force, 29 are women, while 2,028 of 30,030 members are on field duties in the metropolis, according to Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s media division. Among them, eight are inspectors, 118 sub-inspectors, 35 sergeants, 115 additional sub-inspectors, 43 nayeks and 1,665 constables. According to records of the traffic division, 32 sergeants, four sub-inspectors and 16 constables are active in Dhaka. |
WOMEN IN THE FORCE
Of the 329 police officers in the force, 29 are women, while 2,028 of 30,030 members are on field duties in the metropolis, according to Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s media division.
Among them, eight are inspectors, 118 sub-inspectors, 35 sergeants, 115 additional sub-inspectors, 43 nayeks and 1,665 constables.
According to records of the traffic division, 32 sergeants, four sub-inspectors and 16 constables are active in Dhaka.
Sergeant Panna cannot agree with issues with women as police. She feels no such discrimination from her male colleagues.
“We keep working on the streets of Dhaka, and it requires a lot of mental strength. So we signal the drivers in a way that they must follow.”
Speaking of her early days at the job, Panna said: “I’d ask drivers for papers when they violate a signal and he or the owner would tell me to get the sergeant. I’d have to explain to them that I was actually a sergeant.”
Although she feels people have mostly familiarised with the sight of sergeants who are women, another challenge lay ahead in the workplace.
“In the workplace, all men get recognition much before women do. Seniors assign them with more faith. But a woman needs to do her duties diligently to prove that she is deserving.
“There are some natural differences between men and women. It may be that these differences raise questions about a woman’s capacity in carrying out tasks. Only by doing the work properly are her credentials established. That is a big challenge for us.”
Panna recalls her colleagues' support in earning the trust of the higher-ups in the beginning of her career.
“When my seniors asked me whether I’d be able to work somewhere, I was silent. I gradually gave the answer with my work. My colleagues supported me a lot. Without that, we wouldn’t have had much success in the field.
Sergeant Mursheda, who gave a single name, also went through different emotions in her duty. She is assigned to Badda’s Natun Bazar.
Mursheda draws on her professionalism to adapt to remarks like “what do women know of the law”; preferring silence to keep things under control.
But plaudits for her efforts make up for it. “Getting praised after working hard all day feels great.”
She appreciates the supervision of the seniors for looking after the three women sergeants assigned in Badda.
Sergeant Rekha Mallik said that she had the option to work at the office if she felt uncomfortable in the field.
“The DC of Gulshan unit made it clear that we can stay on the road, and if we don’t like it, we are most welcome [at the office].”
Rekha wears a coat over her regular uniform to escape the prowling eyes of some men on the road.
“I had to wear a belt and the uniform was quite tight. I noticed drivers smiling at me, others scanning me. So I had the coat made myself.
“The seniors were against it at the start as it is [not part of the uniform]. They had a rethink after I explained it to a senior who was a woman.”
“No traffic inspectors, sergeants were ever rude to us, and that’s one of the pros of the division.”
Tanzila Khatun, a sergeant at Wari, spoke about the administration’s strong stance against sexual harassment. No such incidents have occurred yet.
“Subordinates address both male and female superiors as sir. My identity is Sergeant Tanzila, not woman Sergeant Tanzila.
“I've never faced difficulties in working with my colleagues. A conference is held every month where the women’s problems are discussed.”
“[The drivers] think we're abusing our authority without knowing anything. We don’t really care when someone says a thing or two about us being women. As long as I am in uniform, I deal with it professionally.”
Khilgaon police’s Sub-Inspector Sonia Parvin also underlined the need to prove her skills in the force, and how there are cuts for women there.
“We've duty 365 days a year during on-field training. We're never let off easily due to us being women… still people say we are lagging behind.
“A man can [arrive at work] leaving everything to his wife, but women don't have that luxury. When we leave the house and come to the workplace, we do so after completing chores at home, and still worry about them after coming to work.
“It makes us lose focus on the job at times. That is a huge challenge for us.”
Like the others, SI Sonia also spoke highly of the support she received from her colleagues.
“Our work hours are not really timebound. We also have to get out at 2 in the night, work late hours without sleep. The colleagues are quite professional. They do not treat me separately as a woman.
“It’s not easy working along as a woman among 100-200 men, but my colleagues never let me feel that way.”
But she, too, is disheartened by how some people view them.
“We're frequently disregarded. Often after arriving at a scene, I see a male member of the police is being hailed as sir, but they choose to stick with ‘apa’ when addressing me, though I share the rank.
“Even those ranked lower than me are called sir.”
A crippling shortage of toilets has been a problem for the traffic police personnel, especially the female officers.
Panna said the nearby markets or hospitals are their last resort for sanitation.
The problem sometimes gets so severe that it makes them panic, she said. “On many occasions, I did not drink water while on duty for eight hours because it was embarrassing for me to use a toilet outside.”
So, the bosses put them on duty in places where there are enough sanitation facilities, said Seargent Mursheda.
But the toilets are still not suitable for women to use, said Rekha Mollick, a traffic constable in Badda Zone. “It will be very helpful for us if we have improved washrooms.”
Tanzila Khatun, a sergeant in Wari Zone, said police were working to solve the problem for all members of its traffic division. “Sanitation is being arranged at some points.”
Mukta Dhar, a special superintendent of police at the Criminal Investigation Department, said the job is quite challenging even for those working at the top tier.
She did not face discriminatory behaviour from her colleagues, she said but people would abuse her verbally.
“When the media covers my operations, I see many abusive comments on social media. Many ask if I, being a woman, were actually able to conduct such operations.”
The police officer, however, believes it is important to continue the work without heeding misogynistic criticisms.
“We've to make our own way.”
“Women have been working in the police since 1974. The path was never easy,” she said, advising the women in the force to tackle the challenges they face.
“We must serve the people skillfully, but at the same time, we should also be mindful of our own safety, honour and dignity.”
[Written in English by Syed Mahmud Onindo]