Bangladesh Police Learn Beauty & Hygiene

We’ve all read about proper work attire and etiquette in the office–but who knew that in some countries, appearance counts even if you’re in a profession outside of an indoor office setting–say, for instance, when you’re out fighting crime.

Lesson #1: Before you start the day, make sure you coat at least two or three layers of extra strength Mitchum solid scented deodorant under your arms so that you’re fresh and ready for those common five hour stake outs.

Sounds bizarre.

Police chiefs of Sharda Police Academy in Bangladesh rank personal hygiene right up there next to labor relations and law enforcement. BBC recently reported that officials hired a notable beautician to teach new men and women recruits that in order to be “world class police leaders,” you must be groomed and presentable. It’s the first time ever in history that a beautician gave lessons to a police academy.

It’s amazing that they can take time and money out for top beautician Kaniz Almas Khan to teach them about such relatively trivial matters. What is there, low crime rate in Bangladesh? That can’t be it–Bangladesh is one the most poorest developing countries in the world. Also, what happens if you’re a great police leader, but you’re unkempt–does your credibility really go down? Who knew.

Apparently, they learned everything from how to correctly match their uniforms to just how important odor really is. They learned how to choose the right perfume and aftershave. The overall course included grooming, personal hygiene, physical fitness, skin-care, diet, and dining etiquette.

Khan told BBC, “It’s great that people are becoming more conscious of their looks.”

….Why exactly? I understand that world leaders and politicians are always presentable because it enhances their approachability–but why do police leaders need an extensive course on body odor and matching attire in order to be considered world class leaders?

To be honest, being that conscious of your looks is a sign of weakness. Worrying about armpit stains and breaking a nail when you’re on the job in which people’s lives are a stake is frankly a little prissy . These are not adjectives that I would want to use to describe a nation’s “world class” police leaders. Officials defend the beauty boot camp by saying that the idea is to make them fit to serve in United Nations peacekeeping missions anywhere on the planet. Beautification should not be a priority for these aspiring police leaders because etiquette various from country to country. They should be more focused on peaceful law enforcement and civil communication rather than try to win this unofficial beauty contest.

These people are training to work hard on a job that takes skill and perseverance as they risk their own life for law enforcement on a daily basis. If I were them, I’d want to be proud of the sweat on my shirt.

Info & Image source: BBC.com