Legal Experts Label Police Searches of Personal Devices as Constitutional Violation
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Legal experts and human rights advocates in Bangladesh are raising alarms over the increasing practice of law enforcement officers searching citizens’ personal belongings, mobile devices, and private social media communications during routine street checks. Critics argue that these actions constitute a clear violation of constitutional protections and existing national laws, which are designed to safeguard individual privacy.
Rezaul Karim Sohag, chairman and assistant professor of the Department of Criminology at the University of Dhaka, emphasized that mobile phones have become an extension of an individual’s private life. Given that these devices store extensive personal data, private correspondence, and sensitive information, Sohag contends that law enforcement lacks the legal mandate to inspect them without due process.
According to legal analysts, the unauthorized scrutiny of digital messages and social media profiles on the street undermines the fundamental right to privacy guaranteed under the constitution. They argue that such measures, if left unchecked, risk eroding public trust and represent an overreach of police authority that is not supported by current legal frameworks.
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