The economy and social realities of any society reflect itself in crime. In the case of Bangladesh, crime has been the subject of a great deal of debate and more often than not the debate surrounds the issue of corruption, financial scams, and abuses of power, which falls under the white-collar crimes. However, of equal significance but much understudied are blue-collar crimes, which are the crimes committed almost by people of the lower socio-economic classes and are typically of the direct physical type such as theft, physical assault, robbery and vandalism. Blue collar crime in Bangladesh matters because it is not only because of its clarification of structure inequality, but also because in Bangladesh includes the role of poor unemployment and lack of access to justice as a contributor factor to crime.
Bangladesh's socio-economic structure is a fertile foundation for blue collar felonies. High population density, rampant poverty, income inequality and rapid urbanization have resulted in socio economic pressure on marginalized groups. Many people moving from rural areas to the urban centers looking for employment end up in the informal settlements with little access to education, healthcare or legal protection. For some, crime is a means of survival or resistance to economic exclusion.
Studies in South Asian criminology emphasizes that, blue collar crimes are a very often "crimes of necessity". When people lack stable employment and social security, robberies, thefts, and violent conflicts regarding the resources are more frequent. In the case of Bangladesh, this trend is evident in the urban areas such as Dhaka and Chattogram, where street crimes, mugging and petty theft are quite common. These acts are generally not committed by organized criminals, but rather by desperate economic conditions as committed by impoverished individuals.
Blue-Collar Crime Categories: Blue-collar crime of Bangladesh can be roughly classified into the following three:
Property related crimes: Robbery, burglary and theft are the most common blue-collar crimes. According to Dhaka Metropolitan police records, there are frequent patterns of snatching and domestic breaking and motorbike theft, the vast majority of which take place in poor communities.
The real source of legislation relating to the punishment of blue-collar crimes is the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1898 and the Blue-Collar Penal Code of 1860. However, the criminal justice system tends to discriminate by giving preference to white-collared criminals or those who are politically powerful and looking after the low-income criminals. Deterrence is also weakened by judicial tardiness, corruption and poor police capabilities. The lack of witness protection, ineffective investigative procedures, and fear of retaliations, also work against the victims of blue-collared crimes.
Punishment is not enough to prevent crime in the blue-collar class.Policymakers must be sensitive to socio-economic causes of crime. The solution to curbing the economic incentives of crime are job creation, education and social welfare. Community based and youth centered strategies have just as significant roles to play towards prevention.
Moreover, giving equal access to justice is of utmost importance. Legal aid schemes should be solidified for poor defendants, rehabilitation schemes should be incorporated to avoid recidivism. Last but not least, regular and transparent law enforcement, independent of politics can help in restoring public confidence and boosting rule of law.
Finally, blue collar crime in Bangladesh is symptomatic of a broader problem of inequality, marginalization and failure of governance. While white-collar crime gets more attention from the public, blue collar crime is something that actually affects the public's everyday safety and social stability. Effective crime prevention must therefore be a mix of economic inclusion, education and justice reforms. But only through an integrated approach can Bangladesh decrease the socio-economic conditions that drive the common man to crime and create a more equitable and secure society.
The writer is a student, Department of Law, Bangladesh University of Professionals(BUP)
